Salisbury homes cleaning up following flooding
The water's affected homes in the area of the River Park project
More than 20 flood warnings remain in place across Wiltshire this afternoon (Monday 8th January), following last week's heavy rain.
The Environment Agency say the risk will continue for a few days yet, as groundwater drains into local watercourses.
Some homes on Ashley Road in Salisbury have been left 'uninhabitable' after the River Avon burst its banks on Saturday night into Sunday morning (7th January).
It's in the same area where the £35 million River Park flood defence project is currently under construction.
Wiltshire and Salisbury City Councillor for the St Paul's ward, Sam Charleston, says he wishes the scheme had come sooner:
"It would have been fantastic if the River Park project had been a year earlier, but these things are almost impossible to predict. So yes. if the work had been finished we wouldn't have seen this flooding, and it's extremely disappointing and frustrating that that is the case."
One homeowners on Ashley Road affected by the flooding has told Greatest Hits Radio that they have to leave their home, but they're being supported by their insurance company.
A local hotel has been found for them to stay in, allowing their children to stay in school.
Local companies like Spire Removals have been giving up their time and resources to help move furniture out of the affected properties.
Councillor Sam Charleston says it's been good to see the community supporting one another:
"The response locally has been incredible - a real community feel and a real community effort. It wasn't nice being out here on Saturday night, seeing all the water rising, but what was nice was seeing how everyone was rallying round and helping their friends and neighbours to move sandbags and source defence works from all over."
The road itself had been closed for a time, but has now reopened, following the delivery of Salisbury City Council sandbags and Wiltshire Council highways staff clearing gullies to drain the waters back.
The River Avon levels still remain high though, and Councillor Sam Charleston is looking for some reassurances from the Environment Agency:
"We at the City Council and Wiltshire Council need to be a critical friend with this in this situation and say 'has this been made worse by the works that are happening and is there anything that could have been done to foresee and prevent this'. That's why we've invited them to come along to the next meeting of Salisbury City Council to answer those questions from councillors and residents."