Investigators for Norfolk County Council have concluded that the 2023 Attleborough floods, which damaged more than 100 homes, in part resulted from workers building a temporary road across the waterway.

Their official report, which has recently been published, found that the structure - providing access to the 165-home Gables housing development on the edge of the town - did not have planning permission.

Flood homes, in the foreground, with the new housing development on the other side of the road (Image: Stuart Sharpin)

It was built across the Besthorpe Stream, meaning that when Attleborough suffered a period of extreme rainfall during Storm Babet, in October 2023, the watercourse backed up and floodwater spread throughout the surrounding streets.

In total, around 130 homes were flooded, with some residents forced to move out of their homes for up to a year while the properties were renovated. One couple, Barry and Ruth Herber, were left facing a £250,000 repair bill, which was covered by their home insurance.

Barry Herber, 72, suffered significant flooding at his home in Norwich Road (Image: Newsquest)

The clean-up operation and subsequent repairs to drainage systems has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The town - which is undergoing some of the county's most intensive housebuilding - had not traditionally experienced flooding on this scale and County Hall officials have been investigating the........

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