AN INQUIRY into the response following widespread flooding in south Bucks last year is due to get underway next week.

Evidence will be heard from residents whose neighbourhoods were underwater, and agencies involved in the effort will also speak as Buckinghamshire County Council’s Transport Environment and Communities Select Committee gather from Tuesday.

The committee says it is also keen to hear from residents, and has created an online survey at www.research.net/r/FloodinginBucks2013-14 for them to feed their experiences into the inquiry, w

The inquiry was launched after severe weather in December 2013 and February 2014 caused flooding to more than 200 homes across the county, many in Marlow, and disrupted roads and transport.

An overflowing River Thames sent water flooding into areas of Marlow, Bourne End and Medmenham, while rising groundwater at Hughenden Valley infiltrated foul sewers.

In the months following, the county council says its flood team carried 17 different investigations, and supported residents to establish flood action groups at Chesham, Hughenden Valley, Marlow and Aylesbury Willows

Now the Select Committee is pulling together evidence from some of these residents' groups and from those involved in the multi-agency response and says it wants to ensure lessons are learned, and to make preparations should the same happen again.

Chairing the inquiry is Select Committee Vice Chairman Patricia Birchley. She said: “Our flood team has already done an amazing amount of work since the flooding. But we need to ensure we have asked the right questions of all the right agencies to give us confidence that all partners are well prepared to work together to respond speedily and effectively.

“We want to hear from residents, and I'd urge them to feed into the inquiry using our online survey.”

Evidence given during the all-day Select Committee hearing, and details of the county council's flood team actions, will be considered during the autumn and presented to the Cabinet later in the year.