Chalk Valleys councillor Jill Haynes says she is concerned that data on flooding may not be routinely collected at Dorset Council.

It follows a winter of problems with excess surface water in her area with permanent pumping in place to protect properties in the Piddle valley villages over several months.

Cllr Haynes said that when she spoke to council officers she was surprised that they only appeared to know about a couple of cases of flooding.

(Image: Trevor Bevins)

She told the council’s audit and governance committee that if the data was not collected in a thorough way it would be difficult, if not impossible, to make a case to the Environment Agency and others, that measures were needed to protect homes.

Cllr Haynes, speculated that part of the problem might be that householders whose properties were flooded, or at risk of flooding, were too busy trying to protect what was dear to them to even think of reporting the issue to Dorset Council.

Committee chairman Cllr Gary Suttle said a check needed to be made to ensure the data was being collected with the likelihood that flood incidents were expected to become more common into the future.