Martin reminds Environment Agency we need action not words

9.37.00am GMT Thu 13th Mar 2008

CHELTENHAM MP Martin Horwood today reminded the Environment Agency that for all the fine words after last summer's floods, it was real action that local people needed. In a meeting in his role as Lib Dem shadow environment minister he took the opportunity to raise the issue of Cheltenham's flood defence scheme, of specific local work that was still waiting to be done more than seven months after the event and the threat of overdevelopment. But he also supported moves to increase flood defence spending and agreed that the agency had kept local people and representatives well informed in the aftermath of the floods.

On Cheltenham's flood alleviation scheme, Martin accepted that it had probably saved hundreds more properties from flooding across the town but said that it had still not performed as expected. He commented: "We need a much clearer admission from the agency than we have had so far that the flood alleviation scheme did not work as planned. In June we faced a less than 1 in 100 year flood event and yet many properties in the town centre area still flooded. They flooded again in July. The consultant's report was too vague about what needs to be done in the centre of town and in other areas like the George Readings estate in Hesters Way."

Martin also highlighted areas where failings in the scheme had already been admitted. "I invited residents in parts of town like Little Bayshill Terrace and Keynshambury Road to meet agency representatives last year" said Martin. "They heard very promising statements then and the consultant's report also said work did need to be done but nothing has actually happened yet. I think residents are quite right to be frustrated and worried at how slow progress has been." The agency said work was planned for the new financial year.

He also raised the issue of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy and the latest recommendations to increase housing still further around the edge of Cheltenham. "This was a bad policy before the floods. Now it's simply mad. In Warden Hill, the flooding was worse than anyone had ever seen before and yet the recommendations are for even more housing uphill at Leckhampton. This is bound to make the situation worse." Agency representatives agreed to explore the impact of the RSS.

But Martin said that local representatives of the Environment Agency had kept in touch after the floods and been prepared to meet local people. "I appreciated the agency's willingness to meet me and to keep talking to local people in the aftermath of the floods" he said. "And I certainly support the need for their flood defence budget to be increased to £1 billion a year as soon as possible."