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Felicity Buchan

Make Kensington Flood Resilient

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flooding

In July 2021, Kensington suffered some of the worst flooding in its history.

This happened as a result of our flood defences being not fit for purpose, and I am determined to ensure that Kensington is made flood resilient moving into the future.

Over last couple of years, I have convened a number of meetings to talk to Thames Water executives, Council members and consumer advice bodies to work on the issues that matter to residents most; getting major infrastructure investment into our sewer network, improving communications between the Council, Thames Water and residents during a flood event, and obtaining affordable insurance if your property is at risk of flooding.

Last year, I led a debate in Westminster Hall with the support of colleagues on both sides of the House where I called on Thames Water to invest properly in our long-term sewage and drainage infrastructure. Read more here: Felicity Buchan Leads Parliamentary Debate on Flooding in Kensington | Felicity Buchan

 I published my response to the Independent Review into West London Flooding, which you can read here: Felicity Buchan Updates Residents on Flood Review | Felicity Buchan. I also convened a meeting with Thames Water, the Council and Ofwat for residents to put their questions directly to senior executives from those organisations. I was pleased to see nearly 100 residents attend with really important issues, and for a number of those to receive flood resilience evaluations as a result.

Since the flooding, Thames Water has installed some non-return valves (NRV) and flooding local improvement projects (FLIPs) in addition to several sewer flaps to protect the most affected properties in Kensington with more planned next year. 

But this doesn't go far enough. Thames Water has only identified some 287 properties in Kensington at varying levels of flooding risk. Having received 500 responses to my own flooding survey, the true figure must be higher. That is why I am calling on Thames Water to conduct a more thorough survey of properties in Kensington and expand the availability of NRVs/FLIPs to residents.

I have helped several residents get these devices installed in their homes. So if you believe your home is at risk of flooding and you could benefit from a FLIP being installed to protect your property, please email me at [email protected].

I will continue to fight for you on flooding - please find further articles below detailing my work so far.

News

Flood Re

Felicity Buchan Meets with Flood Re Chief Executive

Friday, 8 December, 2023
On 8th December, I met the Chief Executive of Flood Re, Andy Bord, to raise scheme eligibility. Flood Re is a government-backed scheme is designed to provide affordable insurance to residents in properties at risk of flooding.  Since the 2021 floods in Kensington, many residents have faced sk
Thames Water

Felicity Buchan Meets the CEO of Thames Water

Friday, 10 March, 2023
Felicity Buchan has met with the CEO of Thames Water, Sarah Bentley, and her team to discuss the progress they have made on addressing flooding in Kensington. The team gave updates on the London Strategic Flood Group and the number of homes that have surveyed, however the MP for Kensington voi
Tracey Garrett

Felicity Buchan Meets National Flood Forum CEO

Friday, 16 December, 2022
Felicity Buchan has met with the CEO of the National Flood Forum, Tracey Garrett, to discuss the July 2021 floods in Kensington. The National Flood Forum is a community advocacy group that provides advice and support to those that have been flooded, as well as standing up for victims in Government
Flooding Meeting Q&A

Felicity Holds Flooding Meeting with Local Residents

Thursday, 27 October, 2022
Felicity Buchan has chaired a Flooding Question and Answer session with local residents and representatives from Thames Water, OFWAT and the Independent Review into the July 2021 floods. The Kensington Q&A is a part of the MP's long-running engagement on this issue with residents.  Felici
Flooding

Felicity Buchan Updates Residents on Flood Review

Thursday, 28 July, 2022
Felicity Buchan, the MP for Kensington, has written to residents updating them on the final stage of the London Flood Review into the July 2021 flooding.
Felicity visits Portobello Road

Felicity Buchan Marks First Anniversary of Kensington Floods

Tuesday, 12 July, 2022
Felicity Buchan has marked the first anniversary of the Kensington floods today by visiting Portobello Road, a site of some of the worst flooding in July 2021.
Thames Barrier

Felicity Buchan Leads Parliamentary Debate on Flooding in Kensington

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022
Felicity Buchan has led a Westminster Hall Debate on flood risk in London and called for major investment in London's sewerage system. Felicity was joined by a number of neighbouring MPs as well as Minister Jo Churchill, who attended on the Government's behalf.
Flooding

Felicity Buchan Meets Thames Water CEO

Friday, 25 March, 2022
Felicity Buchan has met with Sarah Bentley, CEO of Thames Water. The MP for Kensington stressed the importance of finding both short-term and long-term sustainable solutions to prevent future flood events in Kensington.  In the short term, Thames Water will carry out a £10m programme to insta
andy buckler and felicity buchan

Felicity Buchan Visits Flood-Hit St Barnabas Church

Friday, 21 January, 2022
Felicity Buchan has visited St Barnabas Church in Holland Ward. The MP for Kensington discussed how the July 2021 floods had affected the church with the vicar, and the works that had gone on to repair the damage. Felicity said: "Last year, Kensington suffered some of the worst flooding in its hi

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