West Sussex farmers call for immediate action over severe flooding with fields underwater - 'Only going to get worse'

The brook land in Flansham, near Bognor Regis, has been severely flooded since late October. More than 100 acres of once good wheat growing land is now uncroppable.

Nick Adames, who owns Chessels Farm, said: “It is a terribly serious matter. The situation has deteriorated until we now have a town and its surrounds soon to be under water.

“The rifes have to be dredged right to the seawall and then the sluice/gates have to be maintained in a fully workable state.

“I know the land around here, probably as well as anyone alive today, It is my livelihood at stake.

"The five villages to the north of Flansham are set to become one sprawling town and the run off from the built up land gets worse by the month.”

Nick said it is an ‘absolutely desperate’ situation with thousands of pounds worth of crop at stake.

Nick works alongside his niece Emma Maclaren, who has been lobbying the Environment Agency to take action – and she has the backing of local businesses and the National Farmers Union (NFA).

Emma said: “These fields we are standing in now are currently underwater. They should be growing a crop of maize this year but it's unlikely we will be able to do that.

“Acres of valuable crops will be wasted. It's money we've been spent growing the crop, money we are foregoing by being unable to harvest the crop.

"It's right the way along this rife up to Barnham. All the farmers are facing the same battles that we are. We have been trying to get something addressed over the past six years via representations to our MP, the Environment Agency, West Sussex County Council. Things just aren't happening.”

Emma said the situation has worsened over the past year. She explained: “It's not just us farmers and landowners being flooded, it's now down into Bognor.

"They have spent weeks pumping out the electricity substations to stop Bognor from being plunged into darkness. Tesco’s was closed for weeks.

"The economic impact of this flooding is stretching further and wider then it ever has done before and it's starting to cost a lot more money. This is why we want to address it now. Bognor is only going to get worse unless something is done about the rife.”

The Environment Agency said it is aware of the ‘devastating impacts’ flooding can have and ‘understands the concerns raised’ by local landowners.

A spokesperson added: “We operate and maintain our Felpham pumping station and associated sluice gates that drain the Aldingbourne Rife and catchment.

"We also carry out routine maintenance including grass cutting and weed control. This catchment however, is low lying and drains very slowly, and we have experienced exceptionally high rainfall this winter. February saw 300 per cent of the long-term average rainfall for the month in West Sussex.

“We are meeting with Ms Maclaren next week to discuss her concerns and proposal for a collaborative approach with local landowners and businesses to help manage flood risk in the area.

“We would always urge the public to check their flood-risk and register for free alerts and warnings at www.gov.uk/flood or via Floodline on 0345 988 1188.”

However, since the Environment Agency has been responsible for the rife since 1996, ‘nothing has been done’, Emma said.

"It has silted up, it cannot carry enough water off these fields, out of Bognor and down towards the sea.

"It is very simply addressed, something needs to be done. As farmers, we are able to help do that.

"It needs to be dredged. The banks need to be brought back and the level of the rife needs to be lowered so it can carry more water. It would go a long way to addressing the flooding problems we have here and now down to Bognor.”

The next stage for the farmers and businesses is to form an independent drainage board.

Emma said she is ‘in negotiations’ with the Environment Agency and West Sussex County Council.

"We would like a positive, collaborative approach to do the actual work on the rife and go someway to addressing the flooding issues we have,” she added.

The Environment Agency said it ‘will always consider’ dredging and desilting as part of a broader maintenance regime.

However, it was concluded that ‘it is not an affordable option’ on the Aldingbourne Rife, which ‘may also increase the risk of flooding downstream’.

As members of the Arun Flood Forum, the government agency said it will investigate the contributing factors, impacts and possible collaborative solutions to flooding in the Arun district.