QUESTIONS are being asked about 'flooding hotspots' in the Cam and Dursley area after the chaos of Storm Bert bought trees down and led to travel disruption across the area on Sunday.

A Dursley councillor is asking what can be done to improve the drainage in these 'flooding hotspots' after the chaos of Storm Bert this weekend. 

A yellow weather warning was in place for the south west including for Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol and Somerset.

Roads were flooded and blocked with trees in the Cam and Dursley area as the storm hit the district while Dursley Rugby Club - whose games were abandoned on Sunday - warned on Tuesday night that their pitches in their Stinchcombe Hill ground were 'still too wet for training'. 

The Farfield lane between Cam and Uley near the Hydegate Pet Resort kennels was blocked with several trees down while the Environment Agency issued a flood alert for the Little Avon River and other rivers and streams in the Vale of Berkeley for Sunday. 

Gloucestershire police advised motorists to stay at home unless their journey was urgent, with the above picture showing the dramatic scene and the extent of the flooding in Cam's Hopton Road on Sunday morning. 

And now Dursley councillor Terry Cook, Labour Party leader at Stroud District Council is asking what is being done to improve the drainage in these flooding hotspots. 

He said: "As our climate is changing, with increasing incidents of torrential rain in short periods, I will be writing to Gloucestershire County Council, as the highways authority, to ask what steps they are taking to improve the drainage in these flooding hotspots.”

Meanwhile the MP for the area, Simon Opher, said: “Once again our emergency services have been brilliant, and local communities have come together to deal with the issues they have faced. Big thanks to all of them.

“I am concerned that while extreme weather events are on the increase due to climate change, funding of our fire and rescue services has effectively gone down by 30 per cent over the last ten years.

“I hope that we are able to redress this in the course of this parliament. “

‘Record’ amounts of flooding were also seen in Berkeley according to leader of the Conservatives at SDC Lindsey Green (Berkeley Vale), who thanked the community for their response. 

She said: “This weekend we have seen record amounts of flooding in areas that have not flooded before.

“I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped in the recent flooding including our wonderful farmers and local landowners who, without them digging ditches and managing their land, would’ve meant the flooding could have been much worse.

“Berkeley vale residents are always so willing to roll their sleeves up and help each other when needed and that’s what many have done after this weekend’s weather."