Flood defence plans ‘encouraging’ - MP

Local MP Tim Farron joined residents yesterday at an Environment Agency drop-in to look at plans for new flood defences along the River Kent.

Tim welcomed the events in Kendal and Staveley this week, which the Environment Agency admitted happened sooner than planned thanks to pressure from the MP.

Speaking after the event in Staveley yesterday, Tim said:

"The plans unveiled this week are encouraging and impressive. I thought the option for a 1.3million cubic metre holding tank at Kentrigg was particularly ambitious.

"I was also interested to see the scheme of banks and walls in places like Burneside and around New Road and Aynam Road in Kendal. However, it's clear while these will protect homes from river flooding, they will do little to protect homes from surface and ground water flooding. The government's lack of attention to our network of drains means that perhaps the biggest risk is not being dealt with.

"More than anything, it's clear there is still a lot of work to do, and while plans are encouraging, I won't rest until these flood defences are actually being built."