Lydney Businesses Express Disappointment with Post-Flood Response

Retailers in a Gloucestershire town have voiced their dissatisfaction with the actions taken by their Member of Parliament and the local district council, seven days after the area experienced severe flooding. Lydney, situated within the Forest of Dean, suffered inundation when the River Lyd overflowed its banks during Storm Bert. Sara Smith, proprietor of The Bridge Café, which sustained flood damage, stated, “Our town councillor has been coming round to see if everything is OK, but I’ve not seen anyone else.” The Forest of Dean District Council reported that it has communicated with the town council “to ensure the correct resources are in place for the safety of residents.” Paul Clark, who operates Coffee Local within the Regents Walk Shopping Centre, conveyed to BBC Radio Gloucestershire: “It’s not good – it feels like we’re being ignored.” Although his establishment was not directly impacted by the floodwaters, he indicated that the resulting damage has prevented patrons from accessing his premises. He added, “Our customers can’t get to us, and there’s a lack of information.” He further commented, “We’re hearing second-hand information continuously about which roads are re-opening.” “We do feel for people [who have flooded], but we’ve got a business to run and if something doesn’t happen soon, there’s going to be a lot of businesses that won’t survive Christmas,” he warned. The Member of Parliament for the Forest of Dean, Labour’s Matt Bishop, has also faced criticism. Sara Smith is one of several business owners who believe Mr Bishop ought to have made a visit. At her café, situated beneath her residence, refrigerators, freezers, and floor coverings sustained damage. She expressed concern that she could face homelessness if her enterprise fails. “It’s devastating,” she stated. While a Lydney town councillor did visit her, she reported not having seen anyone else “that has importance.” She remarked, “It’s quite annoying really because if it wasn’t for us putting them in [parliament], they wouldn’t have a seat.” Mr Bishop was scheduled to visit Lydney on Monday and commented: “I have spoken to the Mayor of Lydney and will be coordinating a multi-agency meeting to look at what went wrong and what improvements can be made.” A spokesperson for the Forest of Dean District Council conveyed sympathy to those impacted by the flooding, noting that councillors and officers have been present in Lydney “since last Monday,” and the council has additionally supplied complimentary waste collections and skips. The spokesperson further stated: “The council can confirm that the emergency out-of-hours call line was operational on Sunday and that the latest flooding and weather information from the Environment Agency was updated on the Forest of Dean District Council website.” “On Sunday, officers from the Forest of Dean District Council liaised directly with Lydney Town Council throughout the day to ensure the correct resources were in place for the safety of residents, should they be needed,” they confirmed. They concluded, “We are also reviewing any potential funding opportunities for the sports clubs affected to assist with their recovery.”