Calls made to work together to alleviate flooding risk
As the flood clean-up in south Shropshire continues, questions have been asked over how to stop it happening again.
Rosemary Wood, founder of the Friends of the Corve and Teme, said it was vital that the authorities worked together to bring permanent measures to alleviate the risk.
She also encouraged people to do their bit – however small – to try to stop excessive rain wreaking such havoc in the future.
Ms Wood said: "The whole country has got to step back and take a long term joined-up approach.
"We should be trying to help our rivers flow so that they don't flood, not provide sandbags and mop up the water after they have flooded.
"Little things like planting trees, not building on flood plains, using permeable materials instead of concreting all play a part. We have all got to do a little bit.
"We may not be able to stop the flooding, but we can alleviate the consequences if we look at it as our problem that we need to solve, not something to clean up after it's happened."
Councillor Andy Boddington, who represents Ludlow North, agreed that building on flood plains – including current plans for development in the grounds of Linney House – was part of the problem.
He said: "National planning rules say that housing shouldn’t be built in the flood plain if there are alternative sites available.
"But we are not short of places to build homes in Ludlow. We have several hundred approved and waiting to be built."
'Flooding is the new normal'
Hilary Wendt, coordinator of the South Shropshire Green Party said the government was "failing" to act on the climate crisis and to protect citizens from its impact.
She said: "This flooding is the new normal – it shows the climate emergency is not just at our front door but it is already in our living rooms.
"The tragic loss of life and the damage we have seen in the last few weeks in communities in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire shows the climate emergency is here now.
"The time to stop the climate crisis from worsening is now. The Government needs to stop hiding and start putting in place solutions that make our situation better – not worse."
Phillip Dunne, Ludlow MP, spoke in Parliament to appeal for flood defences for Clun, Bridgnorth and Ludlow.
He spoke to George Eustice MP, the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
"As we are speaking tonight, householders in Bridgnorth, in Clun and in Shrewsbury, are expecting water levels to rise to levels higher than Monday last week," he said.
"In the aftermath of these floods, would my Right Honourable Friend consider, as he looks at the next phase of flood defences, also consider towns like Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Clun, in my constituency."
