Get flood defences into peak condition, says MP
South Norfolk MP Richard
Bacon has called on the Environment Agency to get England's flood
defences into peak condition, as a new report
finds that over half of the flood defences protecting areas at high risk
of flooding are not in their target condition.
Mr Bacon said: “Flood defences are only as strong as their weakest point. Unfortunately, the Summer floods showed that England’s flood defences have quite a lot of weak points. What’s more, over half of our flood defences in high-risk areas have seen better days.
“The Pitt Review into the Summer floods is set to conclude that the flood risk is here to stay and likely to get worse. This means the Environment Agency must work harder to get England’s failing flood defences into peak condition. We cannot afford a half-hearted approach to flood defence”.
Mr Bacon, MP for South Norfolk, was speaking as the Commons public accounts committee published its report into building and maintaining flood defences in England. The Environment Agency has principal responsibility for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers and the sea in England and Wales. The report finds that some flood defences are in a poor condition and 54 per cent of the high risk flood defence systems, such as those protecting urban areas, are not in their target condition.
In June and July this year, widespread flooding hit the Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside and the South and South West of England. The floods forced the temporary closure of road and rail links, and cut supplies of mains water and electricity in some areas. Sir Michael Pitt, Chairman of the South West Strategic Health Authority, published the interim findings of his independent review of the Summer floods yesterday*. Sir Michael found that during the floods, there was a lack of overall knowledge of the location and condition of flood defence assets and who was responsible for their maintenance.
18 December 2007
See also:
PAC REPORT: Building and maintaining flood defences in England
PARLIAMENT: MP wants answers over coastal defences
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