No 'single answer' to Shropshire's flooding problem
There is no single solution to the problem of flooding in Shropshire, experts have said.
Anthony Perry, the county's flood risk manager, said: "What gets the water away in one location doesn't necessarily work in another.
"We're talking about a catchment approach. There is no one solution for flooding."
Mr Perry was speaking at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital's Conference Centre last night in a debate on flooding set up by Radio Shropshire.
It was arranged in the wake of floods earlier this year which left parts of Shrewsbury under water, shut dozens of businesses and caused widespread disruption.
The panel included Owen Paterson, Environment Secretary and MP for North Shropshire, Alastair Moseley, vice president of the Chartered Institute for Water Management, and Mary Dhonau OBE, chief executive of campaign group Know Your Flood Risk. Michael Connor, director of Shrewsbury Tourism, whose house has been flooded 11 times since 1998, spoke out from the audience and said: "We are all guilty of ignoring flooding between seasons but it is very difficult to find anyone who is actually willing to take responsibility."
Mrs Dhonau said: "Wherever you go we have paved over and we have paved over our world.
"If you just think about that and the problems it's causing, when you could you have a water butt in your garden instead of concrete."
The debate heard calls for the creation of a forum to act in the "sunny months".
Mr Paterson said people had to work together to combat flooding.
"There is not one single solution and I think that everybody can contribute," he said.
"If we work together and all take responsibility that will make a big difference long term."
The debate will air on Radio Shropshire on Monday between 8:30-9:30am.
