AS WINTER fast approaches, residents living in Buckskin might soon be able to ‘sleep easy’ thanks to funds being allocated to help flood prevention.

As reported in The Gazette, in 2014 dozens of families had to evacuate their homes, after groundwater contaminated with raw sewage flooded their properties.

Since then, ward councillors have been pushing for more work to be done to prevent such events happening again.

Now, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for transport and environment, councillor Rob Humby has announced £2 million will be put towards a £6.2 million scheme to mitigate the impact of flooding in Buckskin.

Buckskin ward councillor on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Cllr Tony Jones said: “This is something myself and Nigel Pierce have been pushing for for a long time, so it is positive news.

“It is something that is really needed, because for people who live in areas affected by the floods as soon as there is heavy rain it plays on their mind.

“We just want the work to get started now so people will be able to sleep easy in their beds.”

The funding will go towards the installation of new drainage to collect rising groundwater from between houses, an enhanced flood storage area at Saunders Field, controlling discharge to the River Loddon without increasing the risk of flooding downstream, and upgrading and increasing the capacity of existing ditches and culverts.

Subject to securing final confirmation of the funding package, work is currently scheduled to start in summer 2018 and will be completed in summer 2019.

Cllr Humby said: “The winter of 2013/2014 saw some of the heaviest rainfall in 200 years, resulting in areas of flooding affecting residents across the county.

“While I hope we don’t see such severe weather for many more years to come, we have been working hard ever since to secure funding and design schemes to help alleviate flooding in the future.”

Along with the £2 million allocated by HCC the rest of the money will come from government grants, £1.1million in flood defence grant-inaid funding, £2.8million from regional flood defence and coastal committee funding, and £250,000 from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

The improvements will help to reduce costs, distress and disruption associated with future flooding for the Buckskin community, minimise the impact on the local economy and ensure that the highway network can remain open.

Cllr Jones added: “It is a major piece of work that needs to be undertaken, but it is one that needs to be delivered.”

Buckskin was significantly flooded from the beginning of February to the end of March 2014 following intense rainfall which caused groundwater levels to rise