Herts Fire and Rescue (HFRS) will be in Claggy Road, Kimpton on Wednesday 31 March between 9:30am and 12:30pm to investigate how water flows could behave on Claggy Road should flooding occur. These timings are approximate, and the test may finish later, depending on findings. There may be some noise from the pumps during the test. Please note, the test is dependent on the fire crew not being on an emergency call out.

Traffic management will be in place on Claggy Road on the day for fire crew safety. The road may be temporarily closed or there may be traffic calming measures put in place for the duration of the test. This will be decided by Herts County Council’s Highways team on the day. Residents who live on Claggy Road and businesses on the industrial area and Enterprise Park will still have driveway access during this time when the road is open, but please do not park cars on the road during the test.

Groundwater flood sites can be difficult to deal with and pumping water does not guarantee that flooding would not occur in the village, but it is just one measure that may be deployed should water levels rise to a critical level. Currently groundwater levels are steady and there is no immediate risk of flooding. This rehearsal is designed to test equipment and drainage systems to ensure that we are ready to act if the risk of flooding is imminent and pumping is a viable option. The test will also be useful in case of future events.

Fire crews will use water from tenders and hydrants to physically test the channelling of water down Claggy Road, into the recently cleaned road drainage system. This will allow crews to do a real-life rehearsal of possible action that could be taken if flooding was to occur in Kimpton.

North Herts District Council continues to actively monitor groundwater levels regularly, and we continue to work closely with HFRS, Herts County Council, the Environment Agency and Kimpton Parish Council so that we are all ready to assist should action be required.