The flooded generator just goes to show that the EA are not fit for purpose, the fact that Rhonda had to explain water displacement to the EA tells its own story, the EA should be embarrassed. Keep up the pressure Wardy 👍🏼
EA people nodding away, in one ear out the other. If only these bods would take note of the people with experience, i.e., the farmers, but no, they sit in their offices still nodding away on the phone. To many people getting paid colossal amounts of money making bad decisions. I could go on, but it would be pointless. I am surprised that they didn't have hard hats on!!
Why when there is a major incident abroad our government send aid etc yet our farmers are forgotten about. Feel for Henry and other farmers who are going to be losing a big part of their income through flooding. A big thankyou to you for been so informative as usual.
Unfortunately Andrew your wasting your time and breath with people like that. They love a meeting to look important and boost their egos but will that zero action on it. Our entire government is a joke complete and utter corrupt waste of space. As for Labour our only other option well... 🙉🤬
To me it looked like the EA guy was just going through the motions of being there to show their faces. Didnt seem interested or give any comments. And did I here right that the lady from the EA said "We need to discuss what you want to do with the land... Do you want to farm it...".... Sorry to swear of course they want to bloody farm it.... Unbeleavable... 🤬🤬
Unfortunately the EA woman in the hi viz jacket epitomises the idealogical attitude of the agency. Seeing the devastation caused by the complacency, incompetence and disinterest leading to the continuing inaction of the EA she thinks it is more appropriate to discuss whether the land is still suitable for agricultural use.
the people what make this country move and tick over, get the least support. it's why I donate so much to charities like the air ambulance and stuff. it makes me so annoyed to see these people, farmers be taken for granted. you should all come together and fight back!
EA chap is nodding, I don’t see him taking notes on Henry’s suggestions… it’s one thing to talk about problems, but when Henry gives practical answers, based on the experience he has of that particular area’s geography, but also justifies his case with the protection of homes and makes a case from a financial perspective you’d expect the EA to do more than just empathise.
Why on Earth does it need a Somerset based lorry to come move the flooded generator ? Surely someone could have been called out from Lincoln, less than ten miles away, to move it prior to the flooding ? Unfit for purpose the lot of them.
Henry was very articulate. I'm not sure if the powers to be were taking much notice, all they seem to do is nod their heads.l would think any layman can see and understand ,the river needs dredging.
I got the impression the EA representatives and the minister were nothing more than a “for show PR exercise” . I really hope these people get a grip but my faith is far from expectant of this being seriously managed by the authorities, Henry has far more decorum than than I would have shown
When someone as young as Henry says " I can't carry on like this " it is very worrying. The environmental impact is huge, but what about the impact on the mental health of landowners, businessmen and residents affected by the flooding? It is not acceptable.
Both Henry and the pub landlords business suffering, the landlord in a worse situation really, Henry may be able to get money for storing water, not the owner of the pub, both have now got property's which are worth much less money due to flooding,
Andrew There is nothing more that I can add to what has been commented except to say thankyou and keep up the fantastic work along with Rhonda and everyone else.
On GB news this morning, they interviewed a flooding expert and put to him that dredging the rivers would help, his reply was that dredging would make no difference whatsoever and in some cases would make matters worse, unbelievable.
When we were involved with the EA over the Banbury flood scheme we didn’t agree with their forecasts and models , we had plenty of site visits from them and meetings in London explained our position and lifetimes experience of the river and the valley here and just like your meeting they listened nodded heads and ignored everything we said. It s as though our knowledge of the river and how it works was irrelevant, they know best. We had a similar situation in the seventies with my late father he was ignored but still proved them wrong. I hope for all of you affected there that you have better luck, I think with your videos and Rhonda’s NFU position they know a lot more people see this so good luck and keep the pressure up! I
Thank you Andrew and Rhonda, A fabulous video. We need some 360, and crack on from the sea to the cities. Cost should be entirely the consideration because if we had been doing a bit every year in rotation we would not have the present problem. And when the general public ask where there food has gone show them these videos. Also, as Europe has had the same problems in many countries the cost of food and flying it in will sky rocket.
As a farming community we all need to join together to push really hard for action. The environment needs to be protected but it comes to a point where human lives and livelihoods need to take priority over the environment.
The most important thing is to keep the pressure on and not let anyone forget what happens when the problem is ignored. These videos will help make that happen keep up the good work Andrew.
To me these issues with flooding are very simple… when natural rivers were formed water from land flowed into the ditches then streams then rivers. But adding houses and impermeable surfaces like roads the water doesn’t naturally saturate the land then flow to the rivers - it does this quicker and hence the rivers can’t cope - they aren’t naturally designed to handle that much water in one place at one time. With man made rivers, like the Witham which I think you said was made in 1700s, then back then hardly any houses in Lincoln compared to today and certainly no tarmac roads or concrete. As you said, lowland rivers need to be clear as there’s little fall to get the water moving. I don’t know what is so hard to understand for the EA and DEFRA.
Excellent video, thank you for putting it together. As someone has said, it will really help when time and memories move on until the next time it happens
Totally agree with you that the rivers need cleaning, Norfolk is in the same position. if they are dredged all the silt etc can be put on the banks to strengthen the banks and make them taller like was done years ago, wildlike will adapt to its surrondings,
What a joke of an agency. I hate to say this but I fear the EA will do f all. The problem is decades old and f all action in those decades. Time to get a few long reach excavators, start at Boston and work upstream.
It just goes to show Andrew that dredging the rivers and ditches is the first thing to do. Then make rivers banks higher, and put farmers and land owner in to funding schemes to pay them to hold water, as for the wildlife you would be able to help them more by doing the above thing to start with. I think Henry put his point over very well. A great video Andrew.
Fully fully agree Andrew. I recall the fact of the farmer who was trying to increase flow and was prosecuted a while back. Cost cuts have been forefront in my opinion, if they keep on about Global warming, surely they have had plenty of idea that something has had to be implemented?
Hi Andrew it's heartbreaking to see all that fertile ground yet again under metres of water,as for the generator it's no wonder they haven't got the money for anything else, some ones job should go for that.
This is so devastating when with more care and maintenance this maybe could have been avoided the environmental agency have a lot to answer for I feel so sorry for Henry please keep us all updated on any developments regarding this.
Really good video Andrew, I think everybody did well to hold back their frustration, I hope somebody sees some sense, it's amazing how leaders in the past had the common sense to maintain the rivers and drains in order to grow more food and yet now they are willing to let all that hard work go to waste, I wonder if their were food shortages would things be different.
Thankyou for your report . Seems on deaf ears . This has been going on for years . So sad . They stopped dreging .Ive heard this over and over by farmers . I am watching from usa . That generattor is just rediculouse. So sad .
Andy, fantastic video. We only moved to the area a two years ago (Hermitage Farm). Found this incredibly informative. Thank you for shining a light on this, and sincerely hope something now gets done.
Great video s Andrew as always I worked for the ea nra when they call national Rivers authority they done a good job hear in the Essex Suffolk boarder my job was river maintenance ie removing all obstruction s from the river weed cutting and dredging the water coarse then they became the ea that s when things went wrong wasnt allowed to do any to stop flooding and maintenance in the end I handed my notice in and left after 22 years of service it was a total embarrassment for me to work for them been in farming and around land owners all my life 15:16
Heartbreaking and avoidable. I think I'd have been very tempted to just move that generator but it's the stupid worry of being sued for doing it. Now it's ruined from being flooded anyway. The people on the ground should have proper training and be able to make a flipping decision for themselves. Obviously none of them had their houses flooded or in danger of flooding, might have produced some results of they had flooded. I really feel for all those farmers and business's affected.
I do hope that lorry hasn’t driven all the way from Somerset with that Bowser Wheelers from Bridgewater ! Absolutely disgusting how the EA work ! I really feel For Henry how he keeps going I don’t know !
Sadly Andrew this is the problem across the whole of the East side of UK. What amounts to criminal neglect by all the government agencies involved that what you get when you are a world leading nation! Keep up this great work Peter Knaggs
Another great Video Andrew. Feel devastated for all affected. Just seemed a shame that the EA man just didn’t look interested at all. Just glazed over.
The fact you have officials there having to be taught the basics of water displacement.....something i learnt in primary school kind of says it all really! Also the E.A knowingly leaving a piece of equipment thats full of contaminates to just go underwater and leak those into a watercourse. I wonder if theyll fine themselves 🙄
A really good insight to this Andrew. Now that the head nodders have heard that austerity has destroyed the capabilities of the EA, what is the plan to fix this and when? Another 5 years? It is truly disgusting that we are in this state. I do agree that the first action is to clear the silt. Common sense required.
I feel so sorry for Henry this is absolutely disgraceful and should never happen. I used to work on farms when I was younger and can remember the ditches being cleaned out at the begining of autumn. EA are an absolute wast of time you can clearly see that they are not listening to your proposals. EA have an office near to me ( Nottingham) and last week when the rain arrived it flooded there car park 😂 Great video 👍👍👍
Really great to watch these videos and heartening to listen to people who understand the importance of dredging, or de-silting as the EA may call it, on flooding and drainage. Up in Cheshire the River Weaver is Cheshire's largest drain with the River Dane dumping huge amounts of flood water and sand into the Weaver during flooding. The EA would rather spend several million ££ on fancy flood defences which, do work some of the time, rather than admit that dredging and clearing the river is the real soloution. On top of this we have a sluiced river run by the Canal & River Trust but, they say under their remit, they are not a flood authority and simply maintain waterlevels and indeed dredge, for navigational purposes. Meanwhile the EA say their computer models state there are no real siltation issues! Its a nonsence and ultimately DEFR need to get a grip on the situation. Keep up the great work.
The trouble is the EA are brainwashed by tree huggers to the extent all they think about is wildlife, but if they thought for longer than 5 seconds they’d realise their policy of not maintaining waterways is actually killing 100 x more wildlife than any dredging would. Crazy.
Men and women in overalls and work boots built the drainage system and country now getting ruined by pinstripe suits and fancy briefcases. I could see Henry advice just going straight through there ears. They was just thinking what they can spend there bonus on !!
I would suggest sending these MP's and decission makers to Holland to learn how to manage water on flat land, you are quite right regards getting water out to sea as quickly as possible. Many of these rivers/drains are, A not maintained & B no longer have the capacity given the urban sprawl and road networks, I feel for you all and realise how lucky I am to be farming in Cornwall where the water runs to the valley bottoms and out to sea
Hi Andrew, excellent update as usual. I think that our rivers and water way's will struggle to cope without some dredging and clearing out the trees. I farm in the Midlands and have a river running threw the property, a few year's back we had an oak fall across from bank to bank and when asked if we would be allowed to get it out of the river we were told no. The tree is still there to this day. The rivers also can't cope with the excess run off from new housing and warehouse developments. I feel very sorry for all that have been flooded, I would like to think something might get done now. Keep up the good work.
Absolutely bonkers re your tree. When the floods in Cumbria occurred in 2016 I spent a lot of time up there running Forage Aid and some farmers had grass fields totally covered with gravel from the rivers and the EA wouldn’t let them clear the gravel because it belonged to the EA not the farmer. 🤦♂️
When will the EA come to grips with what is happening, to leave a generator to just get ruined because they didn't get the okay from above is beyond belief. I feel so Sorry for Henry to have to keep going through this time and time again, I hope now someone will listen to the farmers who's lively hoods are being ruined. We must all keep the pressure on now , not only farmers but the house holders to this must not keep happening. The rivers need dredging and the ditches need clearing to get this water moving, Thank you Andrew for doing this video and to Rhonda for explaining to the EA as they have not got a idea.
got to feel for henery and the landlord of pub lets hope you highlighting the situtation gets the message to them who need to know as for ea answering to defra if defra can not see ea is not fit for purpose then nothing is going to change great video andrew
Hi Andrew, great work that you do highlighting all these problems. I think the general population needs educating on why this happens, i think non farming people driving about think that the land is going to naturally flood, when in reality it could be prevented massively through proper maintenance. If someone come up with a figure of how much potential farm land produce was lost this harvest or next and the implications that would have on food prices going up, people would soon be moaning. Keep up the good work
Seeing Henry bringing the boat up instead of usual transport can't really show people any better really. There seems to be alot of this replace something after the event I see happening quite regularly🤔
A great video Andrew and the situation affecting your godson Henry so well explained by him, what a terrible time he’s having. I hope the EA people were listening? couldn’t see anyone taking notes? They need to get serious now, this has gone on far too long!
great work Wardy by high lightening the inadequacies of the people in charge of the waterways. Don't suppose your saw Look North this week with Peter Levy, there were 2 "experts" on saying that dredging isn't the answer - beggars belief!! Trouble is that people at Defra & EA listen to people like that & not farmers. Keep up the good work 😀👍
Not surprising the breach occurred in that bank, it was on a bend with half of it silted up. That silt would push the current right against the breached area.
Not just the mammal, bird wildlife. Think about the invertebrates, insect, and soil biology that’s been lost. It’s done more environmental damage than meets the eye
Thank you Andrew for putting this video together. I want to say this has to be a turning point in the on going issues of flooding we have in the UK. It is sad to see the devastating effects this is having on people's lives and livelihoods. I did read an article on the BBC a few days ago showing Henry's Farm, I thought I know who's relation that is. Let's hope the EA get to grips with this and realise there needs to be a change to maintaining water ways and rivers. I live in an area where the Welland and Deepings IDB look after the drains and dikes surrounding Farm land and they do a fantastic job. I also remember when I was a youngster the village dikes were kept clear and cut by hand. The general public also need to understand what is happening when they see a 360 excavator clearing rivers of silt and debris and not moan that it is making a mess on the river bank and spoiling wildlife.There isn't a quick fix to this but having the right people speaking up and bringing this to our MP's, we can sort this out for the benefit of everyone.
Great video and comments Wardy, we had floodings in Greece in september more than 100.000 hectares were flooded, goverments everywhere do the same give money for everything useless except fixing the problems that they know will cause huge destructions because of their lack of efficiency, they only ask us farmers to be efficient and care for the enviroment but they do otherwise.. keep up the good work infroming us about everything
Often wondered how a new house was built on an island at just the right height to be dry and make headlines, a quick look at that flood plain map would indicate that the ‘prime agricultural land’ must have come relatively cheap
@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I think that’s the issue here- it WOULD grow really well were it not for climate change causing extreme weather events like we have just seen and causing flood plains to become- flooded! If DEFRA aren’t prepared to provide funding to increase maintenance or improve flood defence embankments for these areas which generally don’t have properties on them because of the flood risk then the loss of this agricultural land will be the reality (in a previous video you talked about how much money the EA get in every pound to protect properties versus agricultural land)
Brilliant video about the Floods You are right in everything you say and show What I would like to know is the Somerset levels used to flood badly but they have not been in the news this time because they maintain them Plus how much wildlife is lost and vegetation destroyed Keep up the great work you are doing for the genuine country farmers ⭐️👍
You have exactly the same problem as the Somerset Levels experienced some years ago. They were forced to dig out the silted up rivers and that is the only way to solve this situation.
Excellent vid as always Andrew I don’t think the EA have ever been fit for purpose. They are NO friend to the environment and in fact do more harm than good. Pencil pushing uneducated desk jockeys. Would rather spend millions on putting in flood barriers that just creates issues for others rather than do basic maintenance an get the water flowing. Councils are just as bad allowing homes, roads, industrial units to be built on natural floodplains . Here in Shropshire this time we have not seen too much water in comparison to several other years. Not even close to the 2000 record high. Dredging helps ecosystems by removing trash, sludge, dead vegetation and other debris and contaminants. It keeps the water clean, preserves the local wildlife's ecosystems and remediates eutrophication - the excess of nutrients in the water due to runoff. It’s a win win situation and that coupled with more waterway management is another benefit. Dredging won’t stop all the flooding and as we know flooding is a natural occurrence but it will greatly minimise issues and the areas water affects and more importantly less flooding will mean less wildlife drowning, contamination to land from sewer detritus and loss of crops and other vegetation.. Nature very quickly recovers from good maintenance and is by far more beneficial to wildlife especially all the subterranean creatures and animals as these during flooding are all drown being lost forever over a large area. One of the many benefits of dredging is being selective and only targeting areas needing maintenance like clearing the bushes from your River Witham. Many of the target areas are towns and city areas , (Bridges being a huge issue) and major silt traps Weirs being another large issue. Many areas have already removed weir's or installed movable ones and this benefits rivers greatly and in a more natural way minimising silt build up allowing free flow and reduced levels but still issues exist with every bridge as these create slow flow and silt traps . In countries that maintain waterways just like the areas we do manage in the UK we see much better water flow and flourishing wildlife. The only reason waterways are neglected is ignorance and a lack of knowledge. The cost would be less than that of all the issues and costs of flooding. Up stream Where the River Severn and Vyrnwy meet at Melverley flooding is a norm and around 80’s flood defences were made in the form of the Argae around the Severn / Vyrnwy confluence. Another huge issue that people forget about is that all the new roads, homes buildings ground drainage push water far faster into waterways . there is a vast loss of natural soakaway land. As the climate naturally changes we see at times more rain yet we have removed vast areas where it would have naturally been able to absorb into and that coupled with the negligence of the EA is a double whammy for nature, wildlife and properties We need a new NRA who know and understand how important the maintenance of clearing waterways is and not to just neglect everything like the clueless EA who since 1996 have been killing and damaging the environment & the life within.
That EA chap wasn't even looking at Henry when he was speaking to him, so I doubt for a minute he was listening to him. He even summoned his assistant over because he didn't want to hear it. This is disgusting and the EA is a waste of time and money!! The farmers should be allowed to deal with this, they know what they need to do. The EA just make excuses!!
Hi Andy. I`m sorry to see you all in this situation yet again. I`m afraid the EA have zero idea how to manage these situations. Most of the staff are failed university people and have no understanding of the land or life. The look on the EA representatives faces says it all it was just a PA exercise. Also the swamped generator says it all. Unfortunately a lot of talk and no action. Press the minister for ongoing compensation and then you may get somewhere. Again however this is not what you want as you just want to farm but it may get something action.
I live up in the Pennines and they’re building on flood planes up here which would normally act like a sump. Now it’s going to be concreted over and and the water will flood straight down stream to places like Lincolnshire
That’s what gets me. The amount of land concreted and tarmac’d over yet the rivers and drainage channels are t improved to deal with extra volume of water. Just bonkers.
Terrible loss for Henry, it will take years for it to recover all the microganismis in the soil will be killed and even more critical to the soil is the worm's they will be drowned plus the amount of silt washed over good soil will also cause a problem. My heart goes out to all the farmers affected by the ea's neglect on the river witham, it's sole destroying.
Yes, i can verify all you state. When my farm was flooded i was shocked at all the worms that were left on the surface, dead. It was years before we got the soil back. I feel for Henry. George
If the river breach is down to lack of maintenance by the E.A. then the E.A. should pay the farmers, landowners and homeowners compensation even if it is hundreds of thousands - it is all the E.A.'s fault.. That E.A. guy, the older chap in glasses, to me, didn't see that interested - its like he is there to provide lip service... Also, where the heck is the NFU? They should be kicking up merry hell to the government and E.A., after all its what the NFU is for and I have long said that the NFU is not fit for purpose.
The NFU were there in abundance because I am Lincs Council delegate and Rhonda as county advisor. I’ll get Rhonda to come on next week and say all what she’s been doing in the background with the IDB and EA so please don’t think the NFU is quiet because with me and Rhonda involved, quiet is the last thing we are being.
@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Please believe that no disrespect intended towards you Andrew as I know the positions you and Rhonda hold and the good work that you do but I was refering to those at the top of the NFU as it is they who are MEANT to hold the government to task which they are just not doing. The likes of Terry Jones, really he and his team should be attending these meetings with you. The problems being faced are too important for him to sit on his arse and do nothing. Potential for livelyhoods to be lost and the emotional and mental costs to those affected MUST be taken into account and compensated. The NFU (again I mean Terry Jones and his team) doing nothing is not an option - The clue is in the name National Farmers UNION. He should personally kicking the door of Number 10 on this and all of the other issues. He should also be demanding that Charlie McConalogue, Steve Barclay and Mark Spence get up there to see for themselves together with all of the local MP's for the affected regions. At the end of the day action is needed, it was needed years ago, not lip service from DEFRA or the E.A. It is no wonder that many farmers feel as if theyt are not listened to or valued.
Good insight. What can we do as farmers to keep the pressure on year round to get some action on this? As you say, it gets to summer and its forgotten about, certainly in the media. We have water stood everywhere, but nothing like you guys, in east Yorkshire. Even we are wondering if spring crops are viable. Can we get in league with insurance bodies to put pressure on because it must cost them a fortune too. The NFU need to be making more noise on the subject as well.
This was an absolute amazing video Andrew lots off good points put out there and you need to keep naming and shaming the EA that poor bloke Henry it’s such a nightmare for him I feel for him I really do.
unfortunately most of the people in charge of this sort of thing have no idea ..we need common people who know the land the waters to be in charge but for that will never happen because......................
A great video on pointing the issue to the ea. I hope your voices are heard well through government and opposition parties with it been a election year please save this video and show the new government your points. Vote Andrew Ward for pm X
The EA don’t dredge the rivers for environmental reasons, yet the amount of aquatic life that must have escaped the river onto the fields must be huge. It then has virtually zero chance of survival as it will be either stranded when the level drops or will get mashed up going through a pump when going back into the river. No wonder anglers are complaining of low fish levels further downstream.
Would be good to put that point across to the environmentalists, not many people would think of the aquatic wildlife that are flushed onto the feilds to die,
Hi all. Feel sorry for you farmers, businesses and home owners and of course the knock affect for everone as this will surely affect prices and shortages so will we need to import more to replace ?????
In my 70year plus lifetime I have never heard of flooding in Salford however just after Christmas 2016 ish it flooded. In Bolton (bowl town) reservoirs should have been emptied with the forecasts given they had plenty time to prepare however they weren’t emptied as they usually do my friend has a farm next to one of the many reservoirs. They were put in for the many mills on the river Irwell to hold water back for summer months
The expanse of flooded prime arable land which is now under water is criminal. Henry was making a good argument for land change but at what cost? Dredging and ditching needs to be done to increase the flow of water out to sea as quickly as possible not held back due to some environmental regulation. Regarding the generator that is lack of common sense on the guys on the ground at the time not the bosses what a waste of public money. Great video Andrew see you Wednesday.
Hi Andrew from Tasmania Australia I sent a link to this video to my cousin in Shrewsbury only 2 hours from you. They have had a lot of work done to their water ways to help with the flooding. It seems to me that it may be the administration of work in your area even more than a systemic issue of eco worriers gaining influence within the system as we have here in the department of parks and wildlife, it is coming to a stage here that it is becoming legal to take a photo of the wilderness therefore driving away tourists the thing they said would replace industry. There seems to be a global trend to stop food production or at least reduce food. I was in a meeting with the mayor supermarkets last year and they were telling us what they were going to do to us and I asked them had they worked out how to sell an empty shelf the conference went silent and then everyone clapped the speakers answered we haven’t got a answer to that and I said you better get one because we will walk away and go to the beach house rather than work for nothing Farming is interesting at the last Biodiversity audits are the next thing coming for us And the reality is that nothing changes in your farming practices only more documentation, without my wife I wouldn’t be able to Farm with the incredible amount of admin. Regards from Tasmania 👍🍎🍏
Thank you for your great comment. I have relatives in Melbourne and Sydney and good friends on the Goldcoast and Perth so I’ve heard some of what you said. The world has really gone bonkers at the moment with all countries not valuing their own food production. It’s crazy.
@johnevans4015 😂😂😂 I was similar with Rhonda but I stayed on this island! I met Rhonda while I was doing a leadership course at Cirencester Ag College the other side of the country to Lincolnshire, 3 + hours away but that’s local for you!!
If you worked for a private employer and you knowingly ignored a situation and allowed the loss of an expense piece of equipment like that generator to be destroyed you’d be instantly fired. EA don’t seemed to be bothered, like most government agencies they seem to allow this type of thing to happen because it’s only taxpayers money, and their preference is to complain that they just need more. The knock on effect of their incompetence is higher home insurance prices for the public because of more floods, higher business insurance, car insurance goes up because more cars are lost or damaged. What type of people are they employing that can do nothing when being told over and over again how to fix the problem.
the UKs infrastructure is so so so old. when I worked for BT for about 6 months, training, I went into the underground of london and all the BT owned lines and god damn is the water system so bad lol
I do not understand why the EA are so convinced that dredging the rivers won’t work. A bigger wider deeper river can clearly move more water more quickly.
Exactly, it shows they’re still trying to appease treehuggers. However, watch this Sundays Waffle because Rhonda is going to give insight into something she’s been working on with the EA and IDB’s,
What the EA and others alike don’t seem to understand is that it doesn’t matter how slow the tap is running into the kitchen sink unless the plug is pulled out it will fill up and over flow! The rivers need clearing of obstructions and the silt to be dredged. Yes it will be a massive task now but that is because of the sort term thinking of recent years when they haven’t done it whereas in the past it was done on a regular basis. We still had fish and other aquatic life when it was done before so doesn’t that go to show it didn’t wipe out the wildlife.
I thought we were going to have a very sad video this week and we have. Such a terrible event to have your farm flooded, I really feel for your nephew Henry! It’s not just the effect on his land at the moment but for the next 12 to 18 months. (Which I didn’t factor in) But of course he’s not alone? Many other farms and businesses effected also. Did you get a feeling that the EA want to do anything to help or not? The older guy in the black coat looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but talking to you guys? Your a practical man like myself Andrew, it’s obvious to me that you have to get the water away as quickly as possible, that’s the key isn’t it? Maintenance of the rivers is completely lacking and in my opinion it’s a disgrace! I can imagine the powers that be are blaming climate change? Unprecedented levels of rain fall is the cry? Never before seen! The only thing never before seen is a complete lack of leadership which was clearly shown with not moving that generator! Yes we have had a very wet autumn and winter, we have in the past and will do so in the future. It angers me that no one wants to really take the bull by the horns and do something about it? At the end of the day I guess we’re only farmers? They might regret that opinion one day! Thank you for showing the rest of us this tragic event, not something you’d see on mainstream news!
We did get the feeling they realise something has to be done, whether it’s enlarging the grand sluice and completely clearing the rivers is another thing.
The EA should be held accountable, government body or not, if you owe the hmrc taxes they charge you interest but seem to ride roughshod without a care in the world about who their ugov bodies incompetence affects, they should be fined by the supreme courts and pay compensation with interest to people like Henry for loss of earnings
Absolutely disgusting behaviour from the “pen pushers” of this country, why the everyday working man can see all the rivers in the UK need dredging but they think it will harm wildlife but yet hundreds of acres of land flooded won’t impact wildlife. Why why why 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ The government would rather import crops to keep up good relations with world trade than us sustain our own. Infuriating.
I presume the dredging in Somerset on the levels has helped so why doesn’t the EA learn from that…..??? Thank goodness Lincolnshire isn’t a dense livestock area (other than the chicken sheds mentioned) otherwise forageaid would be busy but then that’s farmers helping farmers and not government support. 🤷♂️ keep up the good work Wardy.
A Private Prosecution ,cost from £5000+Vat,a group action is appropriate,the present approach is not making any individual accountable and I’m sorry to say these ill treated individuals are being made fools of ,it’s The Post Office all over again. Farmers boy.
The government seems to like sustainable farming because it's all about nature and not about developing the land. Returning everything to a natural state, so when you hear about rivers or waterways not being maintained to the level required, then you have to wonder where the priorities fall. Looking after nature or looking after the farmers. The government with the Environment Agency would prefer the land uninhabitable and left to nature....
