Maidenhead & Windsor

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough has been working throughout the day to support local residents battling against today’s severe weather conditions.

The Emergency Operations Centre was opened early this morning to co-ordinate the council’s response and there have been well over 300 calls from members of the public asking for help or information.

The roads most affected in the Maidenhead area were those dipping under railway or road bridges where water collected, resulting in traffic delays. The problem was exacerbated by flooding on the M4, with displaced traffic adding to the volume of vehicles making their way through the town.

Council staff have been out on Windsor and Maidenhead borough roads to inspect existing or potential flooding and temporary road closures were put in place on a number of roads.

Thousands of sandbags have been distributed, with priority given to those properties most at risk of flooding or where there is a need to prevent further flood damage.

The council has also worked with Maidenhead and District Housing Association to offer comfortable and welcoming accommodation to people who wished to be moved from their flooded homes in Wootton Way and Clare Road. At this stage, however, no-one has expressed a wish to move.

By lunchtime six borough schools had closed as a result of, or threat of, flooding:

* Furze Platt Infant School, Maidenhead
* Boyne Hill Infant and Nursery School, Maidenhead
* Windsor Boys’ School
* Trinity St Stephen First School, Windsor
* Holyport Primary School
* Maidenhead Nursery.

Cllr David Burbage, council leader and lead member for Maidenhead, said: “With yesterday’s adverse forecast the council ensured its operations team was ready to respond to localised flooding – though the sheer scale of the downpour and the resulting extent of the flooding has meant we are sometimes unable to get help to people as fast as we would have wished.

“Council staff continue to work flat out to help as many people as we can in our community and have responded as quickly as possible to requests for assistance. We have worked closely with the police and other organisations to ensure that vulnerable members of the community and those most in need were given our most urgent attention.

“Calls continue to come into the council and our lines will be open through the day and evening to ensure residents have access to services after normal office hours.”

The numbers to call are 01628 683804 until 6pm or afterwards the council’s out of hours emergency number 01753 853517.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead