MADAM, The flooding in the autumn of 2000 was reckoned a twenty year event. So in 2006, when we were told – five months after the tenders were due and most likely because DEFRA thought Hereford responsible – that Small Brook had been deleted from the Flood Aleviation Scheme, I had to ask myself why Messrs Halcrow had incorporated it in their 1996 scheme for the SHDC.

I had done some sums and found that, in a twenty year event, about half the rain on the impermeable part of the 47 hectare catchment of the Combined Storm Overflow would have its 30-inch overflow running full. We can suppose that the flow through the 30-inch culvert under Station Street would be similar and that the two together would overwhelm the undersized culvert behind the carpet shop. Obviously this constriction would lead to flooding in Smallbrook Gardens and this had recurred since the flooding in 2000. I had persuaded the Environment Agency to visit the site when it did, to be told that the Agency had no influence.

I should add that the Water Authority's improvements to its defensive CSO do not affect this particular issue and that highway engineers usually work to a much shorter interval between events. But this in no way compensates for the extreme consequences of this one.

Keith Horne,

Gorsely