Letters: Our village pulled together to defeat the floods

SIR - The flooding at Brockenhurst on Sunday was the worst it has been for many years.

But at 5pm when it seemed at its peak there was very little water under those two notorious railway bridges: Latchmoor and near the Pig hotel.

Latchmoor was virtually clear and it was easy enough to drive a family car under the Pig bridge.

Admittedly it was not possible to get much further along Balmer Lawn Road - the floods were too deep at the junction of Mill Lane - but at least it was possible to get to the hotel via the old stable yard.

The whole village owes a debt of gratitude to the Brockenhurst Flood Action Group.

Their action plan, driven through by the parish council and villager Peter Hebard, has involved cooperation with Hampshire County Council, Network Rail, Environment Agency, the New Forest National Park Authority, the Forestry Commission, Natural England and local land and business owners.

The result has been a permanent and cost-effective solution to what seemed an insoluble problem.

It has demonstrated how local communities, with their local knowledge and ability to observe the detail of a problem, can help authorities solve the most challenging problems.

Graham Baker, Friends of Brockenhurst