Flooding is one of the biggest threats facing Runnymede and Weybridge. The floods in 2014 showed the extent of the risk. The River Thames Scheme – the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Defra, will be crucial to address this, and I have been pressing for the planning and delivery to happen as soon as possible so we can get it built.
I am pleased to have personally gained support from the Secretary of State for Environment to look into fast tracking the current planning process where possible, but we are still years away from the project being completed, and residents also need support now.
That is why I have been calling for the creation of a local Flood Control Centre – a single point of contact for information, concerns and co-ordinated response to flooding matters.
In January residents again faced serious flooding, and many contacted me directly asking for help in accessing flood risk information, or details of who to contact for help when their properties or roads were flooding. The nature of flooding mean multiple agencies are involved in the response, from the Environment Agency, water and utility companies, fire and rescue, County and Borough Councils and the police. Yet this should not be the concern of those affected - residents need clear communication and consistent advice and support. You can hear more from me about this on my video above, recorded last week in Thorpe.
Before the General Election was called I was preparing to launch a parliamentary petition in support of my campaign, calling for the establishment of a regulatory framework for the creation of a statutory local Flood Control Centre which would:
- provide a single point of contact for residents on flooding issues;
- ensure the clear recording and monitoring of all incident reports, and co-ordination of response with the appropriate responsible authorities;
- deliver clear local updates, information, and advice in co-ordination with other agencies and partners as required;
- co-ordinate stakeholder communication whenever the Environment Agency alert authorities to flooding risk, including hosting multiagency response meetings and maintaining a communications network with wider stakeholders, including community flood groups and elected representatives;
- maintain a register of local flood response groups, encourage the establishment of others where required, and provide support and training.
Whether it is river flooding, highways flooding, sewerage issues, burst water mains or any other aspect of flooding, a Flood Control Centre would improve co-ordination, efficiency, communications and resident engagement. I will continue to campaign for better protection from flooding on behalf of residents in Runnymede and Weybridge.
