A NEW depot has been built in Aldermaston to help a firm get to grips with future flooding issues in the borough.

After heavy rainfall last year caused havoc for residents in Basingstoke, and across Hampshire and surrounding counties, staff from Richfords Fire & Flood were called to many high-profile properties, including protecting vintage cars and aircraft at the Brooklands Museum, in Surrey.

Richfords technicians travelled to flooded areas from their base in Cullompton on the M5, but in the future, they will be able to travel more quickly to local locations thanks to the opening of the new depot, in Silchester Road, Aldermaston.

Business development director Michael Cooper said: “Most recent cases have come from places in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, and our customers have asked us to bring our drying technology and skills nearer to high-risk areas. So the depot is the best way of responding to these needs.”

The depot at Aldermaston houses a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment that can be used to respond to damaged buildings and contents.

The equipment ranges from small dehumidifiers to trailer-mounted machines that can produce large volumes of dry air at a range of temperatures.

The depot also houses wireless monitoring equipment to remotely control and check how well the fabric of a building is drying out, without the need for visits from technicians. The system also allows for the drying regime to be modified from within the depot.