Councils must take action to prevent future flooding in Lancashire says Green councillor

Lancashire's only Green county councillor has devised a five point plan to help reduce future flooding risks across the county.
County Coun Gina DowdingCounty Coun Gina Dowding
County Coun Gina Dowding

Tomorrow Coun Gina Dowding will ask councillors to support her call for wide ranging action to prevent the misery of flooded homes, businesses and land.

Following last month’s flooding in Galgate and local floods elsewhere after very heavy rainfall ,Coun Dowding said: “The lives of Lancashire’s residents in some rural communities, towns and villages have been badly impacted. Residential properties, community buildings and businesses were affected causing both economic hardship and distress to our residents.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Noting the cause of such flooding is in part is due to the lack of capacity in existing drains and gullies, she wants the county council to consider transferring responsibility and budget for gully clearing to local district councils when appropriate.

She said: “Local knowledge and streamlining of resources may enable effective and timely gully cleaning.”

Her proposals are in a special motion which she will ask the full county council to back.

She wants the council to:

• ask the Government and other agencies to extend grants to flood victims to include those affected by November’s floods;

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

• ensure reducing flooding risk to both new and existing properties is the key factor when considering future planning applications and strategic land use plans

• set up emergency one stop advice and response centres if needed following flooding

• seek Government backing to develop and implement river catchment flood management plans and review upland land management where appropriate.

Coun Dowding said a wide range of agencies need to work to prevent future flooding, including the county council highways service, the Environment Agency, United Utilities and the Canal and River Trust.