Exmoor village flood fears ignored because River Exe estuary 'is in Devon'

VILLAGERS on Exmoor have been told they are not entitled to a share of a Government £50 million flood relief grant given to Somerset Council because their river flows into Devon.

Residents of Exford want the Environment Agency (EA) to remove a gravel shoal which has accumulated in the River Exe where the B3224 road bridge crosses it.

They fear flooding will affect the nearby 16th century Exmoor White Horse Inn and dozens of homes.

But, EA Wessex area director Ian Withers said Exford was not eligible for the funding because the river estuary was in Devon.

Mr Withers said: “Our operational areas are based on river catchments, and, unfortunately, the Exe goes into my neighbouring area.”

He said he took on board the passion and concern of Exford residents, but unless a scheme fell within Somerset’s jurisdiction it could not be funded from the Government grant.

Exford parish Cllr Jeremy Hickman raised the issue at a Somerset Rivers Authority meeting on Friday (September 11).

Cllr Hickman said everything he had heard indicated some of the £50 million would be spent on an area east of the Brendon Hills with none for the west of Exmoor.

He said: “We have a significant problem at Exford Bridge.

“We have a gravel shoal that has built up and we keep asking the EA to do something about it.

“Somerset Council clear the vegetation every year, they have just cleared it this year at a cost of £5,000.

“They want the gravel shoal removed.

“There are 45 residents in the lower part of the village who are absolutely worried to death that we are going to get flooded out one day.”

Cllr Hickman said the EA had been telling the parish council for the past 10 years the shoal would move of its own accord, but instead it had become worse.