Helen Morgan MP has raised issues surrounding the impact of Storm Babet in her North Shropshire constituency with Flooding Minister Rebecca Pow.
Last year, the MP visited the ‘Flood Bus’ operated out of the Royal Hill around Melverley, speaking with local residents, pubs and businesses impacted by the scale of flooding on the Welsh border.
She has now asked the Flooding Minister to outline what support is available for those cut off from basic services when floodwaters rise.
Questioning the minister, Helen Morgan said, “Vast areas of my North Shropshire constituency are once again underwater, despite Storm Babet not being the most serious that we've experienced in recent times.
“Although my residents are largely dry this time around, they are often cut off for weeks when floodwaters rise, and many of them are old and vulnerable.
“I wonder what conversations the Minister has had with her colleagues in DLUC about protecting these people who are cut off from basic services for such long periods of time where floodwaters rise.”
Rebecca Pow, Minister for Flooding replied, “I've had a great many discussions with DLUC about these issues, but also we work closely with the Environment Agency, as she will know, and those local resilient forums will be factoring in those areas that might be potentially at risk of being cut off so that they've got emergency systems in place.
“I've been right up the river into her constituency to look at some of these issues and I know how close the Environment Agency are working on those plans, and also how mindful they are of getting the right warning systems in place for any areas like that. It's why our nature based solution funding, our frequently flooding funding, our £52 million pound fund is so important.”
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has challenged the Floods Minister over the lack of support for flood-hit communities in Shropshire and continued delays to plans for managing the upper Severn catchment.
Residents of Guinevere Close, that runs adjacent to Gobowen Road, are once again having to pay a cost one councillor has called 'extortionate' to employ a pump operator to lower the water levels on Gobowen Road.
