What impact did the floods have?
The July flood has been assessed as having a less than 0.8 per cent likelihood of occurring in any year. The River Chelt Flood Alleviation Scheme is designed to provide protection for 1100 separate addresses in Cheltenham (of which 750 are residential) against the flood with a 1 per cent probability of occurring in any year. The Scheme undoubtedly lessened the impact but as this flood exceeded the scheme’s design the defences were always going to be overwhelmed in such a severe event. Approximately 230 properties flooded as a result. The June flood has been assessed as having a 1.33 per cent probability of occurring in any year and should therefore have been within the capacity of the scheme. Though the scheme as a whole protected over 600 residential properties and the commercial centre of Cheltenham town in this flood, 50-100 properties flooded.
