Maintenance Update – Buckingham & River Ouzel IDB November 2022

Routine maintenance works were carried out as shown on the interactive map here. The Board have completed work in the following locations:

• Desilting, and clearance works at Godington, Astral Park, Cosgrove, Newport Pagnell, Broughton Brook and Drayton Parslow
• Weed cutting at Brooklands, along the A505, along the A5 at Hockliffe
• Hand works at Hockliffe, along Loughton Brook, Lakes Lane, Caldecotte Brook, Stoke Hammond, Eggington Brook, Ledburn, Eaton Bray, Beachampton & Lower Weald.
• Flood attenuation reservoir & SUDS pond maintenance at Brogborough & Brooklands Meadow.

From April to June, the Boards Operatives concentrated on reinstatement works, which includes harrowing and grass seeding of silt from last year’s maintenance works. As well as this, hand works were completed in high-risk areas, SUDS ponds maintained, and staff completed training. The Board continue to utilise a mixture of contractors and Board Operatives to undertake works on the programme, to make sure sufficient capacity exists and that seasonal works are completed on time. To this end, the operations manager undertook a competitive tender for maintenance work required to be undertaken this financial year, which included various activities, including spraying, flailing, weed cutting, desilting & clearing, on numerous board watercourses. The contracts were awarded in June (with machine works starting from the 17th of July) across numerous contractors (five for flailing, one for spraying and two combined works contracts that included flailing, desilting & clearance works). This work will all be completed by December 2022. The Board allocate budget to flail all watercourses that are sprayed, to allow appropriate access. Depending on the growth and any recent works, when inspected some watercourses do not require flailing and can be sprayed easily. This is judged by IDB staff in year and allows for a reduced impact to the local habitat, with the watercourse still achieving conveyance and a cost saving efficiency. At the end of June, the Boards operatives and Bucks CC Highway carried out partnership working to remove fly tipping from Well Lane, Ledburn. The twitter link to a video can be found here. Fly Tipping at Well Lane, Ledburn before and after.   Stony Stratford at Queen Eleanor Street Maintenance works in the IDB district at Stony Stratford agreed at the January Board meeting started on the 11^th of October. The works were agreed after consultation with the Stony Stratford Flood Action Group (FLAG), Milton Keynes Council and The Parks Trust. The parties came together after flooding to 55 properties in Stony Stratford in Winter 2020 to try and reduce flood risk in the area, with great benefit that the Board is an active member undertaking work in the area. This has been very well received and the group is grateful for the IDB’s expertise.