MP calls for improvements to support available for communities impacted by flooding

Stuart Anderson's call to the Government comes after research from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) revealed that last year's floods led to a 19 per cent drop in income from farming, equivalent to more than £1 billion. The British Consortium added that further 'inflationary pressures' could be "lurking just over the horizon", partly due to further flooding in the months ahead.

The previous government had set up the Flood Recovery Framework during 2017 to support households and businesses that were impacted by severe flooding.

But, after further floods in recent years, the MP said: "The framework needs reviewing to recognise the particular challenges faced by rural communities in the aftermath of localised flooding events."

Under the current framework, support is activated only once the local authority has reported internal flooding at a defined number of properties. This previously stood at 25 properties but was increased to 50 properties and can include both businesses and residential addresses within the local authority's area.

However, the MP states that "where the threshold is not met, local authorities are often left to front the costs of recovery efforts themselves".

While Mr Anderson says he welcomed the reforms to the framework, the South Shropshire MP believes further changes are now required to 'support properties including public houses in rural areas which are often located at a distance from each other'.

He added that the framework "excludes local authorities where flooding occurs across several boundaries as part of a river system or a catchment area or, in the case of farmers, where the flooded land is not contiguous to an eligible river".

The MP has written to the Minister for Water and Flooding to call for a review of the Flood Recovery Framework.

Stuart Anderson MP said: "Last year's floods cost farmers over £1 billion of their income and, without intervention, could result in further pressures pushing up food prices in the future.

"So I have called on the government to intervene by ensuring businesses and households in rural areas like ours in South Shropshire can more swiftly access the support they need to recover from flooding.

"If the government does not step in to reform and expand the flooding recovery framework, my constituents in South Shropshire are worried that they may not be able to withstand further flooding. If they are forced to close shop, this would have a devastating impact on local jobs and the wider rural economy."