Hi everyone and I hope you are all keeping safe and well! 

It's been a very busy and active time for the TFAG Steering Group, and it just goes to show that we the residents have a voice, and an increasingly loud one at that!

A lot has happened since we started this journey, and many of our actions and activities have been coming together these last few days.

TFAG has retained a specialist firm of Solicitors to act on its behalf and protect the interests of local residents and those of the Parish Council. They have requested an extension of time for responding to any Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) produced by Taylor Wimpey, so that our specialist drainage engineers have adequate time to consider check and respond to that assessment.

Notably, Taylor Wimpey were given a 6 week extension of time on 23 October to allow them to provide an FRA and also for residents to have no less than 2 weeks of those 6 to respond to that document. To date Taylor Wimpey has not produced this assessment and so it is inevitable, that unless SODC rejects the Application because of this failure to provide adequate information - as we have requested, that the time period will have to be extended by SODC in addition to their providing more time for residents and their advisors to consider and respond to the document once produced.

We have also identified a firm of engineers to undertake this review of Taylor Wimpey's proposals and who are specialist drainage and flood engineers and who have huge experience in this field. We are therefore in a position of readiness to respond.

Our MP John Howell was persuaded by TFAG to ask a question in the House of Commons, and this took place yesterday, and was repeated again today on BBC South's broadcast at 18.30. There is likely to be a further feature on the regional news tomorrow when the BBC will be running another broadcast about the alarming increase in new developments that cause flooding. I may also appear as part of that feature after doing an interview for the program yesterday afternoon. 

We will let residents know when the Minister has responded to John Howells question.

Speaking up, objecting and taking action as a united community does therefore work and our actions are having the desired effect of shining a very bright spotlight on issues that often get dealt with behind closed doors. These matters are important to us as we face being impacted by the consequences of any poor decision taken that, and it is our homes that stand to be flooded out if they make the wrong decisions. The proposal from Taylor Wimpey is very unusual and completely different to the drainage solution that was originally envisaged when this development was first given outline planning. It is therefore imperative that this is not simply treated as a tick box exercise by the authorities but they consider the proposals check them and then certify that they will either result in no additional flooding whatsoever and are fit for purpose or the contrary. I for one do not want to hear those infamous words from the authorities and politicians in a few years time 'lessons will be learned'. We are making the point very loud and very clear now.....get it right first time! No one needs to learn lessons at a later date.

'Unlikely to.....' is simply not good enough - there is no acceptable reason why Shiplake should suffer any additional risk of flooding because of this scheme, the developer can adopt alternative proposals. These may be more expensive or take longer to implement, but that ultimately is the cost of Taylor Wimpey failing to do adequate due diligence when they chose to buy this site. That is not the fault of the residents of Shiplake.

Thank you everyone for your continued support and do please contribute to the fighting fund that has been set up if you have said you will do so.

Peter Boros for and on behalf of

TFAG - Thames Farm Action Group