Stuart Supports South Shropshire Residents Impacted by Storm Bert
Stuart Anderson MP has renewed his call on the government to rule out any cuts to flood defences, after Storm Bert brought 80% of November's rainfall with hundreds of homes left under water. The multi-hazard weather event saw blizzard conditions, winds of up to 82 miles per hour, and 100 flood warnings in place for England and Wales, concentrated along the River Severn.
In 2020, the last Government announced a doubling of capital funding into flood defences in England to a record £5.6 billion over 2021-2027. However, the Chancellor said at the Autumn Budget on 30th October that the new Government will be reviewing the funding spent on flood defences and farm schemes from 2025-26 "to ensure they are affordable." The Chancellor also announced that funding for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) would be reduced by 2% next year. This is despite reports that the Environment Agency has a £34 million shortfall in its budget.
Stuart has also urged the Government to expedite its post-activation review of the Flood Recovery Framework, after Ministers had promised to "update colleagues" in the Autumn. It followed concerns that Stuart had previously raised about the Framework. As it currently stands, Stuart said, the Framework excludes local authorities where flooding occurs across several boundaries - meaning the threshold of 50 properties required for the activation of support is not met and local authorities are often left to front the costs of recovery efforts themselves.
In addition, Stuart has urged business owners with properties that have been damaged and are no longer habitable due to the flooding to check whether they are entitled to relief from business rates by applying for a change of circumstance. Residents may also be entitled to a Council Tax reduction if their domestic property is no longer habitable. In both cases, those impacted should contact their local council in the first instance, who will be able to give further guidance. Further information can be found on Stuart’s flooding support webpage, which includes key actions including checking flood risk and signing up for free flood warnings – as well as contacts for those impacted by the storms. It also signposts a range of funding to assist with flooding prevention and recovery efforts. It can be found at www.stuartanderson.org.uk/flooding-support.
At least five deaths have been reported in England and Wales since Storm Bert hit, with further reports of elderly and vulnerable people having to be rescued from their own homes. The Met Office issued a new weather warning for heavy rain and strong winds, as Storm Conall hit parts of the UK from Wednesday. Minor impacts may continue in places until Saturday, having already caused significant disruption in parts of the country – including the West Midlands. The A49 between Church Stretton and Holmer closed earlier in the week, while there was significant disruption to trains running on the Heart of Wales line from Swansea to Shropshire on Sunday.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“Storm Bert has brought 80% of November's rainfall with hundreds of homes left under water. A new weather warning has now been issued, as Storm Conall is to soon hit the country with further heavy rain and strong winds. Extreme weather events such as these have a devastating impact on communities in rural areas like South Shropshire, where roads are closed and travel is disrupted. I am worried that the government has announced a review of the funding spent on flood defences and farm schemes, despite reports that the Environment Agency has a £34 million shortfall in its budget. To give our communities the confidence that they need, the government must rule out any cuts to the funding that will be available for these schemes. It must also expedite its post-activation review of the Flood Recovery Framework to ensure that residents in rural areas can quickly and easily access funding to support them with efforts following such extreme weather events.”
Stuart's flooding support webpage can be found at www.stuartanderson.org.uk/flooding-support.
