Stopping rivers from flooding in the first place

sir – Emma Howard Boyd of the Environment Agency (Letters, November 16) quotes the millions of pounds spent on flood defences, but makes no mention of flood avoidance.

She talks of lessons learnt from past experience, yet the flooding on the Somerset Levels was proved largely to be the result of failing to dredge the River Parrett.

People in areas currently flooded have expressed their belief that failure to keep waterways clear has been a major contributor to their plight.

My heart also goes out to the people affected by the current flooding, who face months of misery, and I am dismayed at the failure of Emma Howard Boyd to recognise that to a large extent her agency is the architect of their plight.

Dennis Watling

Southend-on-sea, Essex

sir – Tim Bochenski (Letters, November 16) suggests that houses on flood plains should be built on stilts, In Shepperton, often flooded over the years, and severely in the last decade, new houses near the river must be built on stilts.

My sweet little cottage was built on stilts over 20 years ago. So floodwater goes under my cottage, not through it.

Val Lewis

Shepperton, Surrey

sir – In the first years of this century, a property developer applied for planning consent to build a few houses on land next to the River Coquet in Rothbury, Northumberland – an area prone to occasional flooding.

Following advice from the National Rivers Authority, the application was approved, on condition that no living accommodation was sited on the ground floor, which was restricted to garages only.

Soon after the properties were sold, the local planning authority received its first application to convert a garage to living accommodation. It was approved.

Geoff Johnson

Gateshead