A column by Cotswolds MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP reconvened his annual flood prevention meeting on Friday, February 7, which also covers water, and sewage problems in the Cotswolds.

The purpose of this meeting is to bring together all the agencies who have a responsibility for these matters, including Thames Water, the Environment Agency Gloucestershire County Council, and Cotswolds District Council, Cirencester Town Council, and FWAG.

More latterly an action group, Partnership and Strategic Overview (Oxford, Swindon & Cotswolds) has been formed to address persisting issues in the constituency.

Since these meetings have convened in the wake of the 2007 flood, a great deal has been achieved in the Cotswolds.

The headline that came out of this meeting was that largely as a result of the Chesterton development, Thames Water will upgrade and install new sewers at Shorncote.

This will benefit many other areas of the town; indeed, it was this meeting some years ago that a similar announcement was made for an entirely new sewage pipe from Chesterton to Shorncote.

Commenting after the meeting, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: “These are important meetings as all the agencies have to answer questions directly from members of the public and explain what action they will take to resolve issues.

"Joined by at least 70 members of the public, verbatim minutes were taken and circulated to everyone present so that progress or lack thereof could easily be monitored since the last meeting.

“As a result, many areas in the Cotswolds are far less likely to flood”