MPs Debate Government Action on Flood Defences

Calls have been made for the government to address flood defences in the wake of extensive flooding caused by Storm Bert. Steve Reed, Labour’s Environment Secretary, stated last week that the Conservatives had left defences “in their worst condition on record” and that his party was allocating £2.4bn over two years for defence upgrades. However, Liberal Democrat MP Cameron Thomas, speaking on BBC Politics Midlands, characterized the situation as a nationally strategic issue and implored the government to “grab it by the horns”. Meanwhile, Bradley Thomas, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, acknowledged an increase in severe weather occurrences and defended the actions of the preceding government. Storms last month resulted in significant flooding across the West Midlands, particularly in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, where a wall collapsed. The subsequent deluges led to the closure of schools and roads in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire. Additionally, rail services between Shrewsbury and Wales were cancelled, and the route to Birmingham was obstructed. The Conservative MP (Bradley Thomas) further stated that his fellow MP, Dame Harriett Baldwin, representing West Worcestershire, had obtained £7.5m over several years for a flood defence initiative in Tenbury, which was nearing completion. He also noted that the prior government had completed defence projects in Bewdley. He mentioned that the then-Tory administration had committed £5.4bn for flood defences for the period 2021-27, and questioned whether the funding announced by Mr. Reed was included within that sum. The former Wychavon council leader criticized Labour’s housebuilding targets, stating: “They’ve increased our housing allocation by 82% whilst dropping the Birmingham one by 20%. That risks exacerbating rural flooding even further.” Conversely, Cat Eccles, Labour’s MP for Stourbridge, informed the BBC: “It’s great that they had all that funding for flooding, but why wasn’t anything done? They had 14 years to do so.” Regarding planning, she commented: “We need to be looking at when we’re redeveloping that national planning framework that we are considering flood plain risks and where we’re concreting over and taking trees out.“Ultimately, these are the things that absorb the water – trees, ground, grass – and just being a bit more mindful about how we do planning in the future, while also meeting the housing targets.” Appearing on Politics Midlands, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tewkesbury noted that his constituency is bordered by two rivers, the Severn and Avon, and that Tewkesbury, along with other parishes, experiences frequent flooding. He explained that a problem in Tewkesbury involves tributaries converging, which exacerbates flooding, a situation potentially influenced by upstream defence usage. He asserted: “We are really desperate for a nationally strategic flooding review.” He concluded: “This is a far more nationally strategic issue and it needs this current government now to grab it by the horns.” For further updates, BBC Shropshire is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s approach to external linking is available.