Work has begun to open up the roadside culvert from Newton Poppleford and Venn Ottery, to reduce future flooding in the town.

The undersized culvert under the road has been opened up the road into Venn Ottery from Newton Pop is closed for about five weeks while the work happens.

October 3 is the official 25th anniversary of the Venn Ottery & Southerton Residents Association (VORA)

VORA started in 1999, after houses in Barton Mews, Venn Ottery were very nearly flooded (on 9th August), but due to cooperative action by residents averted the disaster.

Following that August event, neighbours gathered together and suggested setting up an association, a meeting was held in Tipton hall on 3/10/99, attended by nearly everyone living in VO. The association agreed the constitution and we got to work.

25 years later, work has now been approved the dig the culvert, which will take excess water to the flood plain or river, diverting it away from the village.

Shan Merritt said: "The near flooding in 1999 had occurred mainly because a planning condition for Barton Mews had not been fulfilled. Doubling the size of the culvert under the road, to allow the stream and other water to flow away.

"Since founding VORA (which later became VOSRA) the assoc has worked to get remedial action from various bodies, starting with EDDC (who issued a Breach of Condition Notice on the developer), SWW, and later with DCC and the EA.

Houses in Barton Mews and nearby have been seriously flooded twice:  on October 2008  -  Flooding of 4 and 5 Barton Mews, and Courtyard Cottage (which is now part of house called 'Slightly Foxed')

May 2023  -  1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Barton Mews, and part of Slightly Foxed, were all very badly flooded.  Garden Cottage had some flooding.  Also garages and outbuildings in the area.

Mary added: "There were no known incidents of flooding in VO before 2008. I have kept all the records including correspondence with EDDC, DCC, EA, and MPs (Hugo Swire and Simon Jupp), and gathered relevant info from many sources. 

"Based on that data I compiled the Venn Ottery Flood Dossier, which we used as evidence to DCC etc. following the flood in 2023."