Clean-up operation launched as Lyme residents come together to clear up town (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Clean-up operation launched as Lyme residents come together to clear up town

11:30am Wednesday 16th January 2013 in Lyme Regis By Adrianne Maslen

A MAJOR clean-up operation was launched after flash floods in Uplyme and Lyme Regis caught residents unaware.

Roads and pavements turned to rivers as drains were unable to cope with the sheer amount of rain that fell in a short space of time.

The deluge came at around midday on Saturday and flood alerts were in place for the rivers Lym and Char.

This was upgraded to a flood warning for the River Char on Saturday night, although the village escaped any flooding.

In Uplyme seven properties were flooded, including the post office/petrol station and village hall, some roads were closed overnight and silt on the road caused a car accident.

Lyme Regis Fire Brigade helped to divert the torrent in the worst affected areas of Cooks Mead, Lyme Road, Church Street, Venlake and Cuckoo Lane.

Coun Peter Whiting, chairman of Uplyme Parish Council’s flood working party, said: “Seven properties had flooding, including the post office/petrol station, and part of the village hall, although nobody had to be evacuated.

“All the culverts in the area were surcharged or blocked.”

Devon County Council Highways cleared blocked gullies and closed Venlake and Cuckoo Lane overnight until they could be cleared on Sunday.

In Lyme Regis, worst hit was the Ware Cliff area, where gushing water turned the slopes into waterfalls and flowed into Cabanya car park and the bowling green. Lyme Regis Town Council works supervisor Elliott Herbert said: “It was because of flash flooding that our storm drain that runs down Ware Cliff, which picks up from the old reservoir from the concrete works, was unable to handle that volume of water.

“The drains can’t cope with the sheer volume that fell in such a short space of time.

“Although it seems like it’s a regular occurrence, we sandbag it to take the water down the steps on to the car park so that way we can manage it more efficiently.”

On Monday morning council workers cleared the debris that was left behind in the car park and bowling green and cleared silt washed up from the rising river at Jericho. A small army of volunteers turned out on Sunday morning to clear the children’s playground in Uplyme, which has been closed since the December floods, following appeals for help from the parish council. Parish clerk Lois Wakeman said the turnout was better than hoped, with 25 adults and six children helping out.

She said: “Their hard work meant that the thick layer of silt and debris washed into the playground by the winter floods – the last of which had only happened the day before – has now been removed, ready for washing the safety surfaces. The council hopes that there will not be any more floods, as this is the second time the playground has had to be cleared in less than a year.”

The authority has thanked all those who helped and Mrs Ethelston’s School secretary, Uplyme Pre-school manager and local press for publicising the event.

Weather changing

THE wet weather turned to snow and ice overnight on Monday.

West Dorset residents awoke to find cars covered in ice and a covering of snow in places.

Commuters faced travel misery on roads, with a warning issued by police for dangerous conditions on Charmouth Road in Lyme Regis. Further afield, the A35 from Bridport to Dorchester was backlogged with traffic with an accident at Askerswell House at 7.45am on Tuesday.

An ambulance attended but it was thought there were no serious injuries. Numerous other incidents on the A35 were reported to police and on Eggardon Hill cars were stuck as drivers failed to negotiate the icy surfaces.

Journeys from Bridport to Weymouth were reported to be taking three hours.