Lessons must be learnt from the summer of floods

Andrew Percy today demanded that lessons be learned from the summer of floods that has hit both the north and south of the country, and the cases of localised flooding that many communities on the Isle have experienced

Government Ministers in Whitehall are planning an inquiry into the floods; Andrew is calling for a number of areas of concern to be taken into account:

·Who’s in charge ?: There should be clearer lines of responsibility for preventing flooding and tackling flooding emergencies. Since 2000, there have been at least 25 reports on flooding: and yet no single Government Minister, Department or Agency in charge.
·Building on flood plains: The Government’s building plans and regional targets will mean even more high-density development on floodplains, many of which may be uninsurable or have exorbitant premiums. Such development should not take place unless the safety of both assets and homes can be guaranteed.
·Urban drainage and gully cleaning: “Cinderella” issues such as urban drainage must no longer be neglected. Pressures on town hall budgets in recent years have squeezed highways budgets, leading to cuts in gully cleaning and more localised flooding.
·Emergency funding review: There must be a complete review of the “Bellwin scheme”, a central fund which gives local authorities financial assistance in the aftermath of large-scale emergencies.
·Climate change matters: The Government should make an annual statement on climate change adaptation, which would include evaluation of flood defences.
·Single Number Response. Many residents were unsure as to who they should be calling to report flooding, the Council, Severn Trent, Drainage Boards or the Environment Agency. We need a single number for residents to report flooding issues.

Andrew said:
“Across the country, the emergency services and local authorities have done an immense amount of work in recent weeks to tackle the problems of flooding – from major floods to small-scale incidents. But with a changing climate, we need to learn the lessons.

“There should be clearer lines of responsibility for preventing flooding; we should ensure that drainage matters receive the attention they deserve, sewers and gullies must be better maintained. We must review Whitehall’s plans for reckless building on flood plains - that threaten to become the sink estates of tomorrow. There are few areas in the country where drainage is more important than on the Isle of Axholme and we must act now to prevent serious problems in the future.”