The latest news about leisure@cheltenham

With lots of enquiries coming in about our flood damaged leisure facilities we’re trying to pull together information and give a formal announcement about where we are right now.

At the moment we’re trying to get the running track and a few facilities that support it open, perhaps in a couple of weeks time. The rest of the centre was very badly damaged and will take a long time to recover. The video below shows the moment the machine room flooded. This is the room that houses all the pumps and filters that support the swimming pool, it finished up under twenty five feet of water.

The video below shows the same machine room being pumped out a few days later.

Was your property damaged by the flood?

During the first days of flood, the emergency team set about mobilising resources to provide an adequate level of response to the unprecedented situation. Now that the flood waters have receded and the water supply has returned, we have more time to step back and take a longer view. Surprisingly one thing we do not have is a definitive list of all the properties affected by the flood. We have a list of all the calls we received for advice and sandbags – but it is not comprehensive.
 
If your property was damaged, it would be very helpful if you could email us, giving the address of the property, your name, and contact details including a daytime telephone number and forwarding address (if appropriate). We will contact you and arrange to visit you at the flood-damaged property.

Jack and Malcolm delivering water to elderly residents in Cheltenham

The pictures and video below show two of our council depot staff delivering water to elderly residents around Cheltenham. Our depot staff have been a vital link in the supply and a friendly face for many these past few days. The oldest person they deliver to is 104!

Tour around Cheltenham’s flood damaged leisure facilities

The images and video below show Stephen Petherick the commercial manager of leisure@cheltenham touring the darkened corridors of the flood damaged leisure centre. The insurance inspectors who visited a couple of days ago described it as one of the worst hit facilities in the region. Everything is now coated in a fine layer of silt, and on the walls a tide mark that shows the extent of the water. Sprung wooden floors are bowed and distorted and equipment lies scattered where it settled when the flood waters receded.

Everyone would like to thank the wonderful community around the centre, the residents of Hudson Street, Manser Street and Tommy Taylors Lane who provided food and drinks during the night of the flood and the period afterwards. Their support has been brilliant.

Water distribution continues

Full details about water availability are on our emergency water supplies page. Water bowser refills are continuing throughout the weekend with the Army assisting Severn Trent. The council bottled water distribution centres are in full swing.

Thanks to everyone in our community for their continued support.

Guardian Unlimited – speaking to the people of Cheltenham

Martin Godwin and Francesca Panetta from Guardian Unlimited find out how Cheltenham is coping without running water.

Seven days ago today

Good advice

If you have experienced floods like those below, please take a look at our advice posts. If there is anything else we can add, please use the comments links above.

Cheltenham floods on YouTube

Bath Road, Cheltenham town centre on Friday 20 July 2007 when the River Chelt burst it’s banks.