THERE have been calls for urgent action following flash flooding in Malmesbury at the weekend.
Heavy rain led to waterlogged football pitches, a submerged bowling green and a builders merchants was forced to temporarily close.
Park Road, which is parallel to the River Avon, is frequently affected by floods and was underwater once again over the weekend.
This led to Buildbase Malmesbury Timber & Builders Merchant being forced to close for a second time since February due to flooding.
Water seeped into the site and caused considerable damage to stock, leading to the business closing on Saturday and Monday.
A spokesperson for the company said: "The local authorities need to come up with a plan but we don't feel they care enough as it is just us and the football club who are affected.
"The new housing in the area is probably only going to make this worse.
"Greta Thunberg has been warning us but we haven't listened as a human race and our relentless quest for money over environment issues is finally coming back to haunt us and it will be our children's children who will deal with the consequences of our gross ineptitude."
Malmesbury Victoria Football Club had to reschedule games due to the pitch being waterlogged, including a game against Kidlington FC on Tuesday evening.
Even with todays sunshine, our grounds team had no chance. As always they will work hard to try and get Fridays fixture on. pic.twitter.com/6yQ83rSFPq
— Malmesbury Victoria Football Club (@MalmsVicsMedia) April 4, 2023
Some residents took to social media to complain about the lack of warning about the floods.
However, Malmesbury Town Council has established a network of flood wardens to offer advice and assistance to householders at risk.
Each flood warden receives training and covers a particular group of at‐risk properties.
Warnings are then posted on social media.
Steve D’Arcym, who is part of the Malmesbury Flood Wardens Group, explained that the town's hilltop position surrounded by flood plains means during periods of heavy rain some rivers can burst their banks.
He said: "Local flood wardens monitor river levels and provide advanced warnings to those at risk, as well as putting out warning signs to alert drivers of the danger.
"It is highly likely that climate change will make flood events more frequent and potentially more serious.
"A community-led flood defence scheme for this area has been developed by local volunteers that will provide greater resilience in the future."
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