Flooding In Newport, Carisbrooke And Gunville To Be Reviewed By Council Committee

The flooding of at least 56 properties in the Isle of Wight’s county town will be reviewed this evening (Thursday).

Members of the Isle of Wight Council’s Environment and Community Protection Committee (ECPC) will scrutinise the severe flooding that affected Newport, Carisbrooke and Gunville following what has been described as an “unprecedented” downpour.

According to a Section 19 Flood Investigation Report prepared for County Hall, rainfall from Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran on October 25, 2023 was estimated to be between a one-in-28 and one-in-38-year event.

This equates to a storm with roughly a 2.8 to 3.8 per cent chance of occurring in any given year.

Councillors will consider a number of key questions during the meeting, including whether the investigation was launched promptly after the flooding, what actions have been taken since the Section 19 report was published, and how transparent the investigation process has been.

The report states that the storm brought “unprecedented” levels of rainfall to Newport and concluded that the flooding was caused by a combination of factors.

It found that fluvial, surface water and sewer flooding, alongside steep topography and heavy urbanisation, all contributed to the event.

Drainage systems were unable to cope with the rapid increase in water volumes, resulting in high levels of surface water runoff.

The area’s steep landscape and dense urban development further worsened the flooding, causing widespread damage.

Intense rainfall also placed additional pressure on local rivers, leading to breaches along the Gunville Stream and Lukely Brook.

A number of recommendations were made in the report, including the development of a Community Flood Plan, improved mapping of flood zones and watercourses, enhanced community training and better monitoring.

The ECPC meeting will take place at County Hall tomorrow evening, starting at 5pm.