Thursday 27 October 2016, 7.30pm, Elephant & Castle As incidences of severe flash flooding in Lewes become more common, come and join Transition Town Lewes and a panel of experts to ask what we can do to keep water levels in our streets under control. Think of flood risk in Lewes, and you may think mainly of the risk posed by the River Ouse. But with rainfall predicted to get heavier and more erratic as the climate changes,  river flooding is only part of the challenge for Lewes.

Our town’s ‘other’ flood risk
Another major flood threat is posed by surface water. Because Lewes is hilly and a huge proportion of our town is covered by concrete and tarmac, our roads and pathways turn into ‘rivers’ in downpours creating deep pools in the dips. This is the worsened when heavy rainfall inundates our drainage system.

Modern practices such as paving over gardens, driveways and open spaces, allowing rainwater to go directly into the waste-water system and being careless about what we put down our drains are all contributing to the problem.

The risks to property and the traffic chaos that can result are all too evident as the summer flooding in Station Street attests.

Explore solutions with an expert panel
So we’re ready to kick start some exciting initiatives to keep surface water flooding under control – starting with a panel discussion and Q&A  on Thursday 27th October at 7.30pm at the Elephant & Castle.

We’re bringing together an expert panel to discuss the different flood challenges for Lewes, look at potential solutions for the town – and explore what measures we can take in our homes, gardens and streets to alleviate the problem. We’ll be following this up with a series of events and activities in which anyone can participate to help manage flood risk in our town.

Come and share your thoughts and ideas – and let’s work together to stop Lewes from going under.

Expert panel to include:
Sandra Manning-Jones – Project Officer, Sussex Flow Initiative

Rich Howorth – Programme Manager, Brighton & Lewes Biosphere

Dan Fagan – Community Ranger, Lewes District Council

This event is unticketed but we suggest a contribution of £3 on the door. More information: 07887 556 177.