MARY Tavy residents will be well equipped to deal with future incidents of flooding in the parish, thanks to a recent grant for resilience equipment.

The Mary Tavy Jubilee Group managed to obtain a £2,000 grant from Devon Communities Together to buy flood resilience equipment, including a nine metre water barrier, petrol pump and hoses as well as other equipment. These will be kept in a trailer to ensure it can be quickly and easily taken to wherever it is needed, for use by anyone in the parish.

Unfortunately the recent heavy rains came too soon for the parish to benefit from the equipment, but luckily Mary Tavy did not suffer as much as many of its neighbouring villages in the recent flooding incidents, such as Peter Tavy which saw flooding two feet deep on February 6.

Mary Tavy managing to escape the worst of the flooding is partly due to the lay of the land and partly due to good clearing of drains, ditches and leats, but there were a couple of incidents of flooding, including properties in Horndon which had some water damage.

The group has some of the equipment already and will be obtaining the rest over the next couple of weeks.

Ali Fife Cook, from the Mary Tavy Jubilee Group, said: ‘In Mary Tavy we don’t tend to get floods from the Tavy or very much from the brooks which run through the village, but we can get floods from particularly heavy rainfall on the higher parts of the moor.

‘We were fortunate to find out about a grant which was specifically for flood resilience equipment and we put together a wish list of equipment which was aimed at containing and diverting water, in particular a brilliant water barrier which uses the weight of the water to hold itself in place and it can be shaped to fit any area.

‘Alongside that we’re getting a powerful petrol pump and hoses. With these and other bits of equipment we’ll be able to move any flood water to places where it can soak away and with everything contained in a small trailer it will be easy to take to wherever it is needed.

‘As the equipment will be held centrally by the jubilee group, we can make it freely available to anyone in the parish. The only unfortunate thing is that we didn’t have it in time for the flooding a couple of weeks ago, but we will be getting it soon — hopefully before we get another deluge.’

Flooding from the higher moor caused problems on Brentor Road and a bridleway, which was effectively dealt with by the emergency warden on Mary Tavy Parish Council, along with a lengthsman retained by the parish.

The parish council was due to hold a site visit and will work with local residents to ensure all leats are maintained in good order.

The jubilee group can be contacted by calling 0845 5193812, emaied at [email protected] or visit the website www.mtjubileegroup.co.uk