Deliberate flooding to save homes could cost equine charity hundreds of thousands of pounds
(Image credit: Bransby Horses)
More than 250 acres of land owned by Bransby Horses is still under water today (24 October) as a result of Storm Babet.
H&H reported last week that the equine welfare charity had had two hours’ notice to move horses as the Environment Agency (EA) warned them of flooding.
Despite drier weather this weekend, the floods have kept rising, Bransby said today, and it is estimated that 40% of its land is under water.
“Despite moving 100 horses to safety, many have had to be moved again following rising water levels,” said the charity’s head of estates, Victoria Elliot. “Looking at this week’s forecast, we may see the current situation get worse and the impact will continue long after the water subsides and will almost certainly impact our winter grazing.”
Bransby staff moved about 70 of the 300 horses on site on Friday, when the EA said it would deliberately flood land to protect houses in nearby Lincoln. Another 30 horses were moved over the weekend.
“It is possible the charity’s ability to take in new rescues will be affected in the coming weeks but at this point the full impact on their ability to operate is under review,” a Bransby spokesman said.
“Bransby Horses works very closely with the Environment Agency to reduce flooding in Lincoln by using its grazing land as flood plains, but sadly it receives no funding or compensation for this. The impact of the flooding will be an additional cost coming at an already difficult economic time.”
Bransby is open to visitors at the moment; it won the best small visitor attraction title at the Destination Lincolnshire awards this month.
“We don’t want to disappoint our supporters, especially during the half-term school holidays,” said Bransby’s Sally Banton. “Now more than ever we need to continue raising funds for the charity to help pay for the cost of the latest flooding.
“Our café is open and our half-term activities, including Pecan’s Pumpkin Patch, are in full swing. By visiting us you are helping to support us through this crisis and we’d like to say thank you to everyone who visits and supports us.”
“It will only be over the coming weeks that the charity will know the full extent and cost of this crisis,” the spokesman said.
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