Questions have been raised over whether the Conservatives are doing enough to keep Britain protected from floods.
Advertisement
Sixteen severe flood warnings, which signal a danger to life, have been issued across the North West. The Met Office has also issued severe weather warning for rain later this week.
“We should sit down again with the Environment Agency and look at the flood schemes that have been built, look at the ones that are planned… and ask what can we do, what’s in the plan for the future and how does that need to change”.
Cumbria Police said up to 6,425 properties might have been flooded in the county but the most likely scenario was that 4,881 had been affected.
Extreme weather conditions in the north of England were “extraordinary”, according to the Met Office’s chief scientist.
Mr Wilson, whose business was unaffected, has set up an emergency room where locals can have hot drinks and showers.
Local authorities will apply for funds, which will be distributed based on the number of homes affected, the Treasury said.
A spokesman said: “We understand that these closures are making getting around more hard, but they are being done for safety reasons and it is important that people respect the closure notices”. In Cumbria alone were estimated the police between 5000 and 6500 houses under water, 60,000 households without electricity were in the meantime.
Business owner Jon Holdsworth, of Patterdale Hall Estate half-a-mile away, described the floods as “biblical” as he watched his camping and caravan business disappear under water. The Government has already committed to a £2.3 billion programme of flood defences over six years.
Devolved administrations will receive £7.5 million under the Barnett formula as a result of the announcement, but it is up to them how this money is spent.
Meanwhile, the Government has pledged £51m for homes and businesses affected by the floods. “But we have got to be there for the long-term for these families”, he replied.
This latest incident is a reminder to Government and industry as we move closer to implementation of a system of insurance for homes and businesses at flood risk, the so called Flood Re scheme, that the non-inclusion of agricultural land and buildings leaves them horribly and unfairly exposed.
“Over and above this package, we’re still discussing with DCLG what will be required to rebuild Cumbria’s damaged infrastructure”.
Labour highlighted what it said was cuts in funding for flood defences.
“As flooding subsides and people are able to return to their homes, we will continue to closely monitor the situation”. “This is a good start”.
Many services have been restored but large numbers of people are still out of their homes and there remains a lot of work to do.
A band of rain spreading into tomorrow will bring the potential for further disruption across Cumbria, as well as parts of Lancashire and North Yorkshire, the Environment Agency has said.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has said day-to-day spending on flood management was expected to be £695m in 2015/16, having been £811m the previous year.
Advertisement
Forecasters are warning that “some very strong winds” and gusts of up to 60mph are also possible, while the downpours on saturated ground could cause further flooding.
