10th anniversary of floods to be marked by | Gloucester News Centre - http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/
Plans are being made to mark the 10th anniversary of the floods of summer 2007.
Major flooding hit Gloucestershire on 20th July 2007, affecting thousands of homes and leading to a loss of water supply for much of the county. Sadly, several people lost their lives.
To mark the occasion, a special Cathedral Service has been arranged for Tuesday 25th July at 5.30pm. Many of the individuals and organisations involved in 2007 will be present and the service is open to the public. It is being supported by Severn Trent and National Grid.
Gloucester’s Carnival, which was postponed in 2007 because of the floods, will include an open top bus of key figures and fire service appliances will also take part in the procession.
In addition, a report will be published setting out the key actions taken by the various parties since 2007 to guard against a recurrence. This includes dozens of floods alleviation schemes by district and county councils, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water, as well as measures by National Grid to protect the Walham Power Station outside Gloucester which in 2007 was two inches away from flooding.
City Council Leader Paul James, who had only been in post for two months when the floods hit, said, “I felt it was right that we marked the anniversary but it’s important that it is done in an appropriate way. People lost their lives due to what happened and thousands had their homes devastated, so memories of those events will be painful for many. The great determination and community spirit which came out of it is a real positive and we must not lose sight of that. I hope lots of people will come to the Cathedral Service and watch the carnival procession.”
The Very Revd Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester, said: “The floods a decade ago were one of the most significant events of this generation so it is only right that the community comes together at its most significant place to reflect and to pray. All are welcome.”
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
