| Urgent flood action is needed |
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| Tuesday, 04 December 2007 | |
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The Local Government Association (LGA), a cross party organisation representing councils across England and Wales, has called for urgent action to prevent a repeat of the floods that hit the UK last summer. Although the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has promised to increase funding for flood prevention from £600m to £800m, it will not be available until 2010/11. According to the LGE, this is too long to wait. Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of the LGA Environment Board, said: “There is no guarantee we will not see a repeat of the heavy rainfall which led to that flooding, and so it is vital we start improving our systems and defences as soon as possible.” “There is a strong and compelling case for ministers to bring forward the timetable for this investment so our villages, towns and cities are better protected. “Action now to improve our drainage systems and upgrade our flood defences will prevent greater damage and higher costs in the future. Widespread flooding has a major impact on the road and rail network, which in turn has a significant effect on UK industry and commerce. He continued: “There is a clear need to improve flood defences around crucial infrastructure as a matter of urgency. The summer floods demonstrated how vulnerable we are to the loss of sub-stations and water supply, and we simply cannot wait another three years to start taking these vital precautions.”       |
