‘Floodmobile’ will help Peterborough homeowners and businesses become more flood resilient

A new project is aiming to help homeowners, landlords and businesses in Peterborough - and beyond - make their properties more resilient to flooding.

While flooding is becoming an increasingly common occurrence in places like Peterborough, many homeowners and businesses are unaware of the steps that can be taken to make their properties more resilient against future floods.

The Ox-Cam Pathfinder Project, government funded by Defra, is raising awareness of the measures that reduce the impact flooding can have on properties, speed up recovery and minimise the time that people are out of their homes or businesses are out of action.

In a virtual launch event on Tuesday (March 9) at midday, the Ox-Cam PFR Pathfinder Project is unveiling its Floodmobile - a custom-built community demonstration vehicle that is packed with over 50 practical property flood resilience measures to provide vital information to communities on the steps that can be taken to help reduce the impact floods can have on properties, including keeping water out, to making recovery swift should water enter the building.

The Minister for Environment Rebecca Pow MP is providing a welcome speech at the virtual launch event, before a 360-degree virtual tour is provided, alongside PFR experts, Mary Dhonau and Matt Tandy.

An expert panel will invite questions from attendees, including Dan Bond, Deputy Director of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management at the Environment Agency, Ian Gibbs, Deputy Chairman of the DEFRA Property Flood Resilience Roundtable, Dermot Kehoe, Communications and Transition Director of Flood Re and Alastair Moseley, Honorary Vice President of CIWEM. The Q&A Panel will be hosted by Brian Stewart, chairman of the Ox-Cam PFR Pathfinder Project, which is one of three Defra-funded national partnerships focused on raising awareness and take-up of property flood resilience measures. The Ox-Cam project will raise awareness of PFR across the Oxfordshire-Cambridgeshire Arc region.

Mary Dhonau, PFR Expert (Residential) for the Ox-Cam PFR Pathfinder Project said: “Having been flooded myself, I know that it is a truly appalling experience and sadly many people from across the region have also witnessed this first-hand this winter. We are here to help provide advice to those who are worried about future flooding on just what can be done at property-level to reduce the impact being flooded can bring and the Floodmobile provides a fantastic interactive experience.

“The Floodmobile has been designed to showcase as many different interventions that can be used as possible, in one place. There are door valves, non-return vales, flooring, wall coverings, recoverable kitchens and flood doors – including those suitable for listed buildings – and much more.

“We encourage anyone who is worried about flooding, or indeed who has already experienced this in their home or business, to sign-up to our free Floodmobile virtual launch event to find out more.”

The project team is planning to visit communities that have been directly affected by flooding, when it is safe to do so. This will enable communities to meet the team of experts, to see the many measures in the Floodmobile first-hand, and also watch inspirational video interviews with individuals who are already benefitting from PFR measures in their homes and business premises.

To register for the Floodmobile virtual launch event click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-floodmobile-launch-tickets-142673896465.

For more information, visit https://www.floodtoolkit.com/ox-cam-property-flood-resilience-pathfinder/, email [email protected], or follow the Ox-Cam PFR Pathfinder project on social media: https://twitter.com/oxcampfr or https://www.facebook.com/OxCamPFR.

Led by Northamptonshire County Council, the Project is working in conjunction with flood authorities from Cambridgeshire County Council; Northamptonshire County Council; Oxfordshire County Council; Buckinghamshire Council; Central Bedfordshire Council; Milton Keynes Council; Luton Borough Council and Peterborough City Council.

Other key project partners include The Environment Agency, Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (Anglian Central, Northern and Thames), Anglian Water, Thames Water and the DEFRA Property Flood Resilience Roundtable.