Sandbags

Contact Information

Emergency contact during office hours: 01628 683804 (8am-6pm Mon-Fri)
Out of Hours Emergency number: 01753 853517

Who gets them?

The Council has a limited supply of sandbags that are used primarily for the protection of vulnerable residential properties. (You could buy sharp sand and tarpaulin from your local DIY Centre to create your own if necessary)

Requests from members of the public for sandbags will be considered only when occupied residential properties are in imminent danger of flooding or have a history of flooding.  Unfortunately we are unable to provide sandbags for protecting gardens, outbuildings or other structures that are not residential.

All requests will be assessed in terms of priority of need and the risk associated with flooding. Priorities are based on: 

• Protection of people who are elderly and/or disabled
• Protection of residential habitable property
• Previous flooding history
• Accessibility
• Health and Safety of the crews making deliveries
• Staff availability to produce sandbags, given competing pressures during flooding and other emergencies

The risk assessment will be made using a combination of local knowledge, historical documentation of flooding problems and by inspection in the field.

Where resources permit and subject to an assessment of need, the Council wherever possible, deliver sandbags to persons with justified need. In order to prevent congestion and avoid disruption to the service, members of the public will not be allowed to collect sandbags from the council's depot.

Residents may also wish to consider making their own flood defence preparations. There are a number of products available, details of which are available on the Environment Agency's website or by calling 0845 9881188.

Commercial premises

Are responsible for carrying out their own flood risk assessments and for ordering their own supplies of sandbags.

Parish Council

May ask for sandbags to be delivered to a secure area and accept responsibility for the storage, maintenance and delivery of stocks within the parish.

Who is responsible for collecting sandbags once flooding recedes?

Where the Council provides sandbags, they become the responsibility of the person or parish council receiving them.  The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead cannot accept responsibility for putting the bags in place or for collecting them after the flooding recedes. There is no statutory obligation on the Council to provide sandbags or other forms of flood defence; however, we will try our best to provide them where they are most needed, particularly for elderly residents, where resources and access permit.

REMEMBER - responsibility for protecting a residential or business property lies, in the first instance, with the owner.

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