important community news and information about the current situation in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
We are slowly amassing a collection of images that show how Cheltenham and it’s people have been affected by the flooding and subsequent loss of mains water supplies. Please take a look at our images on flickr.
Thanks for your comments and support, everything is being passed back to our emergency planning team.
Cheltenham Borough Council is keen to emphasise that the bottled water it is distributing and water from bowsers is free and available to everyone.
Free bottled water is still in large supply between 8am and 8pm at the following five sites in Cheltenham:
If you find a bowser to be empty, ring the number that is displayed on the bowser, or alternatively contact the council’s emergency team on 01242 262626 who will inform Severn Trent.
Special arrangements are being made by the council to recycle the plastic bottles so people are asked to keep hold of the bottles until we can collect them.
The floods affecting homes and or other property may have been contaminated with sewage or other contaminants. Although this would be much diluted and present a low risk there are a few precautions you should take. The council has issued health advice to help in the aftermath of the floods.
As we are all using lots of bottled water at the moment, we are asking you to keep hold of the plastic bottles as arrangements will be made by the council to recycle them.
It has been reported that vans have been visiting bowsers and emptying them. If you see this going on, do not get involved but take a note of the time, the registration number and a vehicle description.
Report the details to our helpdesk on 01242 262626 (open 8am to 7pm).
The South West of England Regional Development Agency is making up to £2m available as an emergency fund (download the PDF) to help support small and medium sized businesses hit most severely by the current flooding chaos.
Normally Andy is a payments manager, but everyone is mucking in to keep the council operating and responding.
There are a limited amount of sandbags available should you need them after further rainfall. Please telephone 01242 264244 where an officer will take your details and an inspector will be sent out. They will then supply them for you if there is an imminent danger to your home.
Please do not go to the depot on Swindon Road directly as this is causing problems for staff distributing the sandbags.
There have been concerns expressed about food safety in businesses that are open despite having no water supply. Please be assured that inspections are being carried out daily and nightly by the council’s food safety team. Most businesses are complying with hygiene standards voluntarily but if you do have a complaint or worry then call us on 01242 262626 and they will be looked into.
Alternatively, if you are a business looking for information then please read about the crisis team set up for businesses hit by the flooding.
Anyone wishing to volunteer to help distribute bottled water at one of the five distribution centres should contact the Volunteer Bureau on 01242 257727.
Severn Trent acknowledge that they are having trouble keeping up with the demand on water bowsers but now have 900 bowsers in place and an improved system for keeping them refilled. Check out our emergency water supplies page for latest updates.
‘We are still offering a full service’ is the message from Cheltenham Borough Homes
Staff from Cheltenham Borough Homes are working around the clock to continue offering their full services to tenants.
The team at Cheltenham Borough Homes is actively working with the emergency services and Cheltenham Borough Council to deliver emergency drinking water supplies to tenants.
Over the weekend, Cheltenham Borough Homes dealt with over three hundred and fifty calls from tenants and helped by delivering eight hundred sandbags, lifting carpets and moving furniture in flooded homes.
The priority since the beginning of this week has been to ensure the vulnerable and sheltered residents had water supplies. Cheltenham Borough Homes is now assisting the emergency services to deliver water to vulnerable residents in other tenures who live close to our estates.
Paul Davies, Cheltenham Borough Homes’ chief executive, praised the work of his staff, many of whom have worked long hours and changed to other duties to help residents.
“We have always put our customers at the heart of what we do and in this exceptional crisis, staff are putting their bodies and souls into helping our communities.’’
Calls for the town are being co-ordinated through Cheltenham Borough Council’s emergency control team (Tel: 01242 262626) and Cheltenham Borough Homes’ tenants can also ring a dedicated helpline (Tel: 0800 408 0000).
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