Flooding action plan for Cumbria unveiled

Floods Minister Rory Stewart has presented a new flood protection plan to protect Cumbria from the kind of devastation that hit the region in December last year.

The Cumbria Flood Action Plan ‘Reducing flood risk from source to sea’ outlined the short-term programs that will help to afford greater protection to the 4,300 homes in the region. In addition, long-term strategies will see local organisations and communities collaborating to create more effective ways to manage the land and rivers.

Over £150M has already been invested by the government in the Cumbria region, with infrastructure repairs, direct payments to flooded households and business, an extensive clean up operation and funding to match fundraising efforts.

The plan will see the restoration of 350 hectares of peatland to hold water upstream for longer at several sites around the Eden, Derwent and Kent/Leven catchments.

Local reservoirs will see improved management from United Utilities so they will be capable of holding more water during flooding.

Planning permissions in Cumbria will in future take into consideration the consequences of Storm Desmond.

The three catchments that took the brunt of the flooding- the Eden, Derwent, and Kent & Leven – will be examined. Tree planting and restoring river bends in addition to more conventional engineering solutions such as floodwalls in towns will be undertaken.

The Environment Agency say that the strategy will seek to find a balance between investments in flood defences and other Government investments in the environment, farming and water quality.

Mr Stewart commented: “This plan is what Cumbria needs to help protect its businesses, people and infrastructure from flooding – now and over the longer term. This is largely thanks to the incredible spirit of the Cumbrian people, with local groups, local authorities, the Environment Agency and landowners all working with us to find the best answers for every area.

“The government has committed up to £72 million to protect Cumbria from flooding and this plan uses local expertise to identify where that money will be best spent to benefit communities, by re-examining river systems from source to sea.”

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