Report It

Neither B&NES Council or Saltford Parish Council are responsible for issues regarding private or company property e.g. telegraph poles, electricity cabinets etc. The only caveat is that B&NES Council sometimes looks to remove graffiti from e.g. electricity cabinets.

Should there be an issue with private property, residents need to directly contact the owner or the company who owns the property to resolve.

Similarly, Parish Councils are not informed nor hold information regarding private businesses or suppliers, or health care providers i.e. doctors or dentists. If you require information please contact the organisation directly. If you require assistance doing this please contact or visit a B&NES Council Library or One Stop Shop. Saltford’s nearest One Stop Shop is in Keynsham, and can help with general enquiries as well as assisting with a range of other matters.

Citizens Advice Bureau B&NES

CAB-BANES (Citizens Advice Bureau – Bath and North East Somerset) provides a drop-in service on Monday in the One Stop Shop in Keynsham for people who live in BANES. They may be able to advise about matters relating to personal property, or signpost residents to where they can find information.

Please visit their website at Bath and North East Somerset Citizens Advice for more information including contact details. If you are unable to contact a local CAB adviser in B&NES, contact information for CAB nationally is available at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales/about-us/contact-us/ (Please note that CAB-B&NES no longer have an office in Keynsham, all correspondence should be sent to their Bath office at 2 Edgar Buildings, George St, Bath BA1 2EE).

The Citizens Advice website may be of help too. It includes sections on Benefits, Work, Debt & Money, Consumer (including energy), Housing, Family, Law and Courts, Immigration, and Health. CAB can also signpost residents to other relevant services or organisations who may be able to assist.

Saltford Parish Council is unable to provide advice on these or other similar matters, and encourages residents to contact CAB directly.

In an emergency call 999

To report a non-emergency crime or incident – Call 101, or else contact Police.uk. Residents can also contact the Keynsham Beat Team directly.

Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) – Call 999 if a crime is being committed or if someone is in danger, otherwise visit A&S Police’s ‘Report Antisocial Behaviour‘ page (includes button on page to report ASB). Please note some ASB matters are the responsibility of Local Authorities e.g. B&NES Council.

Crime – Information on reporting a crime is available on the Avon and Somerset Watch page.

Speeding – If you believe there is a speeding issue in your area, report on A&S Police’s ‘Raise a speeding concern‘ page. Please find more information below.

Incident on the road – If you have been involved in an incident on the roads, or think you might have witnessed an offence, find out how to report on A&S Police’s ‘Report a collision or incident on the road‘ page.

Vehicles that are causing an obstruction or hazard – these can be reported to the police. Please visit Avon and Somerset Police’s Report a Parking Problem page for information on how to report vehicles causing a hazard or obstruction.

Avon and Somerset Police’s ‘Report’ page – This page on the A&S Police website contains a list of numerous issues and how these can be reported as appropriate. Please visit https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/ This page has sections including: Vehicles and Theft; Stolen, lost and found; Concern for welfare; Community issues; Property and money; Drink and drugs; Children and young people; Animals; and Online Crime.

More information on speeding

Speeding concerns need to be reported directly to the police by residents.

If you have concerns about speeding, please log a report via A&S Police’s ‘Raise a community speed concern‘ page.

Residents can also contact the Beat Team via the online form on the Keynsham Beat Team page (scroll to end). Information about how residents can set up a Community SpeedWatch is on the A&S Police page here (as of October 2024, SPC understands the scheme is looking to be relaunched).

Police say unmarked road safety enforcement vans address persistent speeding issues in targeted locations across the Avon and Somerset force area. Locations for vans are chosen based on evidence of past incidents, community feedback, and data from speed enforcement. The Police focus on areas where there is a documented problem with persistent speeding and a heightened risk of collisions. Advice from the Keynsham Beat Team about how to report speeding in Saltford was shared during SPC’s September 2024 minutes under Item 4 ‘Report from Keynsham Beat Team’. 

View SPC’s article dated June 2025 ‘Speed Enforcement: Your Questions Answered by Avon & Somerset Police‘ for a link to frequent Q&As about speed enforcement in our area.

Keynsham Beat Team

Saltford is covered by the Keynsham Beat Team. To find out more or to make contact please visit the Keynsham Beat Team page. The Keynsham Beat Team page has details on beat crime statistics, priorities, surgeries, team members and local police station locations. Residents can contact the Beat Team via the online form on the Keynsham Beat Team page (scroll to end).

Local Neighbourhood Watch information is also available from the Avon and Somerset Watch website. To register for local crime alerts visit the Avon and Somerset Police Community Alerts sign up page.

A member of the Keynsham Beat Team attends the Keynsham Area Forum to give a report and answer questions. Residents are welcome to attend the Keynsham Area Forum, as organised by B&NES Council. Dates of meetings are on the B&NES Council page as linked.

If you wish to report an incident or a crime or need to speak to a Police Officer you should contact 101. For all emergencies call 999. Further information is available on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

SPC and the police

Saltford Parish Council maintains regular contact with Avon and Somerset Police when required, for example during periods of high visitor numbers to Saltford.

SPC and residents also receive updates from the Keynsham Beat Team at the Keynsham Area Forum. Police reports for the local area are a standing item on the forum’s agendas.

Relevant information shared by Avon and Somerset police to SPC is often posted on SPC’s website and/or social media channels.

Due to police resource, Saltford Parish Council has been informed that members of the Keynsham Beat Team are unable to attend Parish Council meetings, and that engagement can take place at Keynsham Area Forum meetings. The public, including members of Saltford’s Neighbourhood Watch groups, are welcome to attend and engage with the police at Forum meetings.

Members of the Keynsham Beat Team are welcome to attend SPC’s meetings. If the police are ever due to speak at a Parish Council meeting, this will likely be detailed on the agenda. Should this be an item, please be aware that due to demands on police resource the item could be cancelled at short notice.

Crimestoppers

Crimestoppers is an independently registered charity which allows anyone to pass on information anonymously about crime or people they know or suspect are committing it.

To report crime anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. This line is a 24 hour service open seven days a week. You will always speak to Crimestoppers staff at a Crimestoppers call centre and NOT the police.

Crime can also be reported anonymously online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. Follow the links for the online form.

Crimestoppers are not part of the police or the Crimewatch TV programme. They guarantee that calls cannot be traced and that calls are never recorded. Crimestoppers will never ask you to visit a police station, make a statement or go to court, and that any contact will always remain completely anonymous. More information is available on the Crimestoppers website.

This section has information on:

• – Extreme weather
• – Environment Agency
• – Canal River Trust
• – Flooding (including Flood Warnings, Who to report flooding to, Prepare for flooding, Guidance if you have been flooded, Health and Safety concerns following flooding, and;
• – Water leaks and burst mains

Extreme weather

For local weather information including weather warnings visit the Met Office at: www.metoffice.gov.uk The Saltford Environment Group also has the ‘Saltford Weather Station‘ in the top right-hand corner of their homepage.

For river, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels: River, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels
Wessex Area Water Situation Reports. Monthly reports are produced on Gov.uk.

To sign up for free flood warnings please visit this Government webpage (go to the Gov.uk website or search ‘know my flood risk’ to sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings) to receive information on the risk in your area and what to do in a flood.

The Met Office’s Community Resilience website is at Met Office Community Resilience The Met Office has updated their Community Resilience leaflet which contains some really useful information about flooding advice; and community resilience during rain, snow and ice, thunderstorms and lightning, strong winds and gales, fog and extreme heat.

The Environment Agency’s May 2024 briefing note about the Twerton Gates on the River Avon can be viewed here as shown in the image below. In this briefing note, the EA explains the function of the Twerton Gates, and how the EA operate them during a flood event in a way that avoids increasing flood risk downstream. The primary function of the Twerton Gates is to maintain a minimum water level upstream ‘required for navigation purposes and to protect the ancient foundations of structures along the river corridor in the World Heritage Area of Bath‘. There is a live webcam of the Twerton Gates at https://eawessexnorthwebcams.org.uk/sites/twertongate/cam4/index.php

Emergency planning and resilience in Saltford – The Saltford Emergency Coordinators Group (of volunteers) has been created to assist emergency response organisations, and to aid community resilience, in the case of a large-scale or village-wide acute emergency. The group may act during periods of severe extreme weather if they deem it is required. For more information, visit the ‘Emergency planning and resilience in Saltford‘ page as hosted by Saltford Parish Council on behalf of the group.

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency exists to create better places for people and wildlife, and to support sustainable development.

Responsibilities and priorities can be found on the Environmental Agency website. The Environment Agency 24hr hotline is 0800 80 70 60.

If you are concerned about blockages, obstructions to flow in the river or know of cut vegetation being deposited in the watercourse, which can cause pollution, please call the EA’s Incident Hotline 0800 80 70 60 which is open and manned 24 hours a day. You will be given advice and guidance and the information you share will be recorded and passed to the relevant duty team who will be able to take any necessary actions.

You can call the Environment Agency incident hotline to report:

• damage or danger to the natural environment
• pollution to water or land
• poaching or illegal fishing
• dead fish or fish gasping for air
• main rivers blocked by a vehicle or fallen tree causing risk of flooding
• flooding from any river, stream, canal, natural spring or the sea
• incidents at Environment Agency-regulated waste sites
• illegal removals from watercourses
• unusual changes in river flow
• collapsed or badly damaged river or canal banks

More information can be found on the Environment Agency’s incident reporting page. This page also has information on incidents to report to your local council (B&NES Council) or utility company, rather than the Environment Agency.

Canal River Trust

To report a speeding or unlicensed boat on the River Avon, or one that is not tethered or is sinking or abandoned, please contact the Canal River Trust. The easiest way to report an incident is to call 0303 040 4040 (press 1 for river, and 6 for south west, and you will be put through to an operator), or report online at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us/ways-to-contact-us

The Canal River Trust can be contacted in an emergency as well as about about non-urgent issues regarding the river. The CRT FAQ page provides further information on the Canal River Trust’s responsibilities – these include moorings, pollution and vegetation.

The River Avon flows through Saltford. The Canal River Trust is a charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways. It is responsible for some of the vegetation adjacent to waterways and locks (including Saltford Lock and Kelston Lock). (Please note: B&NES Council is the riparian owner of land on the Saltford side of the river itself, and is also responsible for the bridge over the River Avon in Saltford. The riverbank opposite Saltford on the Kelston side is privately owned land with a Public Right of Way adjacent to the river bank on some sections).

Flooding

Information about flooding emergencies can be found on B&NES Council’s website. Who to contact about a flooding incident can be found on the B&NES Council ‘Report a flooding incident’ page. Information about B&NES Council as the Lead Flooding Authority is also available.

B&NES Council’s policy is that provision of sandbags for properties are the responsibility of the property owner (not the council), and owners are advised to purchase and store sandbags in preparation for flooding emergencies.

Useful information can be found in the Environment Agency’s leaflet ‘on ‘Your home in Somerset could be at risk of flooding. Would you know what to do?‘ which has some great advice for properties in advance of a potential flooding incident. The Environment Agency’s leaflet ‘Recent flooding in Somerset. What can you do now?’ provides advice on what residents can do following a flooding incident.

Further information about property flood resistance can be found below:

Flood warnings: View the government’s ‘Sign up for free flood warnings‘ page.  This allows residents to receive warnings by phone, email or text message if your home or business is at risk of flooding. The service is free. You will need to provide the address you are registering, a phone number you can be contacted on (day or night) and an email address. Residents can also call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for updates on flooding, to sign up for flood warnings, or to report flooding. Follow the Environment Agency for the South West’s page on on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EnvAgencySW. Or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/environmentagencywessex 

Visit the Environment Agency website www.gov.uk/environment-agency which contains information on current river levels and flooding, the direct link is at their Avon Level at Saltford’ page. Also see the ‘Check for Flooding‘ government page for information. To check your current and long term risk of flooding, visit this government page titled ‘Check the long term flood risk for an area in England‘.

Flash flooding: Information about Flash Flooding is available on the Government’s ‘Flash flooding‘ page. Flash flooding can happen anywhere, not just near rivers and streams, though some areas are at higher risk (as listed on the Government’s Flash Flooding page).

Flash flooding is very dangerous. Do not walk or drive through the water. Move to higher ground or the upper floor of a building if it is safe. Call 999 if you need emergency help.

Flash flooding is a very dangerous type of flooding, and can happen when a lot of heavy rain falls in a short period of time onto the ground and/or into a river or stream. Most flash floods happen in the summer. The result can be deep, fast-moving water that can injure or kill people and damage buildings.

Flash flooding is very dangerous and disruptive because:

• there can be a lot of powerful, fast-flowing water
• the water can injure and kill people
• it can happen suddenly
• there may not be any warning
• the water can carry away cars and other vehicles
• the water can damage or destroy buildings

Please be aware that shallow flood water (around 15cm or 6 inches) that does not look dangerous can still knock a person over or conceal hazards. It only takes around 60cm (2 feet) of water to carry away a vehicle of any size. Don’t walk or drive through the flood water, and don’t use flimsy or temporary structures like a tent or a caravan for shelter during flash flooding.

If you own a camping or caravan site, find out about managing the risk of flooding. People are particularly vulnerable to flooding if they are staying in a single-storey building, caravan, mobile home, tent or wooden structure. Campsite, caravan site, holiday park and residential park owners and managers are responsible for keeping people on their site safe from flooding, and there is guidance online for how they can manage the risk of flooding: Managing flood risk for campsite and caravan park owners – GOV.UK

Prepare for flooding: Further to the Environment Agency’s leaflet on ‘Your home in Somerset could be at risk of flooding. Would you know what to do?‘, this Government ‘Prepare for Flooding’ webpage details how to protect yourself from flooding, including advice if you own a riverside property. The ‘Personal Flood Plan’ government webpage details information about creating a flood plan for your property. If you are a business, see here for advice on how to prepare for flooding for businesses. Practical EA advice about reducing the impact of groundwater flooding on properties can be found here. Residents may also find the Flood Hub’s Property Flood Resilience Toolkit useful. Further information including case studies of flooding and resilience measures which have been implemented can be found in this Property Flood Resilience booklet.

Guidance if you have been flooded: Environment Agency advice on what to do before, during and after a flood can be found here and in their leaflet ‘Recent flooding in Somerset. What can you do now?’.

If you have been impacted by flooding, the National Flood Forum is a charity that helps, supports and represents people at risk of flooding and during or after being flooded. Please find information on their website or call 01299 403 055.

Flood Re has been set up to help those households who live in a flood risk area find affordable home insurance. For more information contact your insurer or visit: www.floodre.co.uk

Flooding – Find out the answers to frequently asked questions: Flooding FAQ Property Flood Resilience Toolkit | The Flood Hub. This toolkit contains all the resources you need as a basic introduction for your property to become more flood resilient. Click on each resource to download it and build up your toolkit!

The Environment Agency’s advice to the public is to:

• Stay safe and not enter floodwater.
• Stay away from seafronts etc (SPC would add stay away from close proximity to the river bank)
• Call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for updates on flooding, to sign up for flood warnings, or to report flooding.
• Go to the Gov.uk website or search ‘know my flood risk’ to sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings, receive information on the risk in your area and what to do in a flood.  
• Sign up for Flood Warnings
• Visit the Environment Agency website (which contains information on current river levels and flooding)
• Follow the Environment Agency on X, formally known as Twitter: Twitter.com/EnvAgencySW
• Visit the Environment Agency’s Facebook page

Health and safety concerns following flooding: Public Health England have produced a document about frequently asked health questions to do with flooding . Please see here for more information.

Who to report flooding to: Who you need to contact to report flooding depends on what is flooding. The link below explains when you need to report an incident to the Environment Agency, your local water company or to B&NES Council: See Report a flood or possible cause of flooding – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

B&NES Council is both the Highways Department and the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Saltford. You can log local flooding issues to B&NES Council using Fix My Street or call Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41.

Residents and businesses are able to report flooding online on the Flood Online Reporting Tool, FORT link: FORT – Home (geowessex.com) For how this information is used to help the community, there is a pre-recorded presentation by Guy Parker from the Environment Agency that you can view here: Flood Online Reporting Tool (FORT) Presentation – YouTube

The Floodline number (24 hour service) is: 0345 988 1188 (costs may apply, see here)

The Environment Agency stresses the importance of reporting flooding. If your home or business has flooded, please make sure you report it as soon as you are able to. There are lots of reasons why you should report flooding, most importantly so authorities and agencies can respond to close roads, unblock gullies, and provide an emergency response if required. Useful information to share with the Environment Agency includes: residential and commercial properties that are known to have flooded; road, rail or other transport infrastructure affected; and any photos or videos of the above and inundated areas of floodplains. Please report online using the Flood Online Reporting Tool . You can also contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60. In an emergency please dial 999. Find out more Blog: The Importance of Reporting Flooding | The Flood Hub

Links for information, guidance and resources related to Property Flood Resilience

• Flood Mary – https://floodmary.com/
• FloodRe – www.floodre.co.uk
• Build Back Better – https://www.floodre.co.uk/buildbackbetter/
• Be Flood Ready – https://www.befloodready.uk/
• CIWEM PFR professional community of practice – https://befloodready.ciwem.org/property-flood-resilience/ 
• Historic England – https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/flooding-and-historic-buildings/
• National Flood Forum –  https://nationalfloodforum.org.uk/
• Flood Hub – https://thefloodhub.co.uk/pfr/
• Flood Mary PFR Presentation – https://youtu.be/43bD2psS5Zo?feature=shared
• Blue Pages (independent flood directory) – https://bluepages.org.uk/
• Flooding from groundwater (downloadable guide hosted on the Dorset LRF website) – https://dorsetprepared.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Groundwater-flooding-0345.pdf

Water leaks & burst mains

Bristol Water shares ongoing incidents updates here and further general information on their website at www.bristolwater.co.uk . Please also view their ‘How we manage incidents’ page. For live updates about incidents also see Bristol Water’s Facebook and Twitter feeds which tend to have comments added on a regular basis during an incident.

View Bristol Water’s Contact Us page on how to get in contact, including for general enquiries.

If you have an issue with your water supply visit Bristol Water’s contact page here.

Bristol Water’s 24 hour emergency helpline is 0345 702 3797.

Bristol Water also has information on their ‘Our promise to you, our customers‘ page with regards to water supply interruptions. Please also find Citizen’s Advice information on their ‘Interruptions to your water supply‘ page.

If you notice or have concerns about a leak please visit the Bristol Water ‘How to report a leak‘ page. This page includes information about spotting a leak and who might be responsible for pipework leaks.

During instances of no water or low water pressure, Bristol Water may arrange via external agencies safe places to collect drinking water during longer lasting incidents or e.g. during a heatwave, though this may be for more vulnerable people only. Please view the ongoing incidents page or call their helpline on 0345 702 3797 as well as checking Bristol Water’s social media and other communications channels, especially if you are a vulnerable person. Residents are encouraged to check on vulnerable friends and neighbours if there is an ongoing issue with water supply.

Bristol Water’s website has the latest updates on repairs and incidents, as well as planned works in a particular area. To report a leak – use the Bristol Water interactive map by entering your post code.

If you can smell gas or suspect a gas leak call the 24 hr National Gas Emergency Hotline 0800 111 999, or via textphone (minicom) on 0800 371 787.

If you are worried about carbon monoxide escaping from a gas appliance, please also call the National Gas Emergency Hotline.

If you smell gas or suspect a leak, take the following actions:

• Do open windows and doors
• Do turn off gas at the meter (unless it’s located in the cellar or basement)
• Do turn your gas appliances off
• Do not smoke, light a match or use any kind of naked flame
• Do not use light switches, doorbells or any electrical switches
• Do not return to your home until you’ve been given the all clear

If you suspect there are high levels of carbon monoxide in your property:

1. Open all doors and windows
2. Move everyone into the fresh air
3. Call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999

If someone has collapsed, or is displaying severe symptoms: Call 999.

Check affected postcodes and the number of UK Power Networks customers affected by power cut incident, and the status of repairs on a live map.

Call 105 to report a power cut, or get information about power cuts. You can also visit PowerCut105 at https://www.powercut105.com/en/

Call 105 or visit PowerCut105’s Report a Power Cut page if you see damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you, or someone else, in danger. If there is a serious immediate risk, you should call the emergency services too on 999.

The 105 number is a free service, available to people in England, Scotland and Wales. You can call the number from most landlines and mobile phones. A call to 105 will put you through to your local network operator. Use the postcode finder here to identify your network operator. This online tool will also tell you how you can contact your network operator via their website or social media.

When a Saltford post code is entered in at PowerCut105 it links to the operator for the Saltford area, as follows:

National Grid ED (South West) – South West England

Telephone: 0800 6783 105

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GridCustomersUK/

X: https://twitter.com/GridCustomersUK

Email: contact@nationalgrid.co.uk

Website: powercuts.nationalgrid.co.uk

The website also has FAQs and further advice about what to do in a power cut.

National Grid can help if you have additional needs because of medical or personal circumstances. The Priority Services Register is a free service to help people who have additional needs. It’s available to customers in England, Scotland and Wales. Residents can sign up by contacting National Grid (your operator and energy supplier). who keep their own register. Find out who your local network operator is by entering your postcode on the PowerCut105 homepage. More information about help and support at https://www.powercut105.com/en/help-and-support

You can also call UK Power Networks direct on 0800 316 3105 to report a power cut.