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Could it be a dry winter for Alfriston?

The village is frequently cut off from the A27 by flood waters.
George Carden reports.

The Environment Agency told us...
We monitor the condition at the Cuckmere's mouth and clear shingle when it's necessary.

In winter a mobile pump is installed at Alfriston and there are embankments along the tidal Cuckmere to let the land nearby be farmed.

When water levels are high the water can top the embankments and the floodplain can take a long time to drain via a series of culverts.

The culverts are regularly checked and cleared.

Meanwhile Defra told us...
We consider dredging and de-silting as part of our broader maintenance regime and undertake it where it is cost-effective and viable to do so.

In many cases, dredging isn鈥檛 the best long-term solution in terms of affordability, efficiency, environmental impacts and sustainability. It can push flooding elsewhere. We would never flood one community to save another.

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