2024, What a Year!!

Credit where credit is due!
Here’s a huge pat on the back for some of ‘Syston’s very own Flood Wardens’ who went that extra mile or two, you have been truly tested, spectacular thunderstorms, heavy rain, more rain, sun, rain, sun, another thunderstorm, then – yep rain!!!! ‘Syston‘s Flood Wardens‘ are local residents just like you, who volunteer and are ‘doing a great job, they keep people informed because they care’, if you volunteers are reading this, thank you for your Facebook updates and physically being out there, residents appreciate you, there’s not many who would turn out in the rain for free to monitor the brook, but volunteer Flood Wardens are just that, volunteers, we shouldn’t (and don’t) expect them out in the rain 24/7!
The local authorities didn’t disappoint the ratepayers these past months – “oh yes they did” little evidence of anything until the recent ‘makeover’s removing vegetation’ then we had another long wait, it’s been a case of ‘pass the brook, to you, to me, no back to you’ for months!
We have repeatedly reminded them that October was the anniversary of Syston’s first flood episode in 20 years, but hey it happened again down at Brookside on October 1st, so here we are still waiting for the major de-silt to clear the blockages (this month)!!
We’re nice people, those we’ve met working for the Environment Agency, our Borough & County Councils are nice people, but sadly on a cold, wet, unpredictable stressful night it’s hard to remember that when Syston has been kept waiting so long for the job ‘to get done’!! Before you ask, yes, our local MP was ‘chased’ – but let’s make this very clear, there was no running around the town square (you have to laugh else you’d weep), it was promised that Syston and its residents would be a top priority if re-elected, hello there, hello, best say nothing’!
Like many of you our good will has taken a really hard knock of late, and breath, Syston we can do this, the wheels of bureaucracy turned very very slowly, meetings about meetings, annual holidays (we wish), then more meetings, oh and ignore the ratepayers whilst you’re at it kinda meetings, but they (local authorities) all agreed at a meeting which we attended, that they didn’t want to cause ‘unnecessary distress or anxiety’ to any residents in Leicestershire, they (local authorities) recognise that signing up for flood alerts is ‘not’ for everybody!
Oh, unlike our own town council who appear to have missed the point by displaying signage to ‘sign up for flood alerts’ this is not the start of the third petition by any means, but another opportunity to politely request our ‘town council to please do the right thing for residents mental health’, plus those social media posts relating to de-silt timelines aren’t helping, they’d be very good, if they were correct!!
A de-silt is one thing, vegetation removal is another, residents have been given false hope these past weeks!
Readers, the Syston Community Flood Group (SCFG) have your best interest at heart, they happily acknowledge our town councils involvement in getting the de-silt here, isn’t that what town/parish councils are supposed to do, work on behalf of the ratepayers, but there’s also residents who have been involved in the process, and that continues!
As always contact Syston Community Flood Group systonfloodgroup@gmail.com or Facebook if you (or a group of you) can physically get stuck in when water levels permit and help us.
Syston mortals, nor anyone else, can control what falls from the sky, but we can help get it through the town and work with the EA where possible along it’s route, let’s keep the water actually moving, like it used to!
Nearly there, not forgotten you, a shout out to admin who have posted useful stuff along the way on Facebook on behalf of the Syston Community Flood Group, not every day, but when it mattered most, (sometimes a picture of their high-tech rainfall measuring device, yep, a flower vase, straight sided of course) we thank you.
Lastly. Let’s see the brook de-silted, spend Christmas a little happier in the knowledge it’s done and clear, then start 2025 knowing how to ‘empathise’ with others and help residents in the community ‘by making a difference’ to Syston.
If you can be anything (even though it’s blooming hard at times) be kind!
M & K
Concerned Residents.