MP urges residents to help create emergency flooding plan for Kendal

South Lakes MP Tim Farron urges local people to come and help develop Kendal's emergency plans.

An event is being held with the Environment Agency on 11th February from 3pm - 7:30pm at Kendal Town Hall. In 2014, Tim helped secure £2 million of government cash to be used for flood defences in the Workington, Ulverston and Threlkeld areas. There will also be restoration work on the rivers Kent, Derwent and Eden.

The Environment Agency is working with South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria County Council to encourage local residents and organisations in the Kendal area help develop the town's emergency plan.

The plan would be used if the town faced another emergency like the flooding of 2004 and 2005. But Kendal has also faced flooding in recent years too. In 2009, large rainfalls were recorded in the county as the rivers, streams and becks spilled into homes and businesses.

At the time emergency relief centres catered for hundreds of displaced people. Cockermouth and Keswick were the worst towns affected, but many other communities across Cumbria like Burneside, Backbarrow and Kendal felt the impact of the deluge.

Since these events, the Environment Agency has completed work on the Kent and Mint embankments protecting the Mintsfeet and Lakeland Business Park areas of the town. Tim has pushed hard for extra funds to protect residents alongside the River Kent in South Lakeland.

Tim has also dealt with flooding issues on estates like Hallgarth in recent years working with local councillors.

The session is looking for groups and organisations that may be able to offer help if Kendal experienced an emergency situation in the future. Help can be offered in many ways they could include things like: coordinating volunteers; operating telephones; helping with catering; 4x4 driving; or tree surgery. Other types of support could be the loan of equipment, local knowledge and making premises available.

Tim said: "I am urging local residents to go to this event and make sure their ideas are heard. In recent years Kendal and our surrounding villages have dealt with flooding and I am working to secure funding to introduce mitigation measures but we can do something as a community and I hope by getting lots of people together we can create local solutions as well as capital projects."