#backtobusiness: Shadow minister sees impact of devastating floods in the Gorge
Following weeks of devastation caused by flooding throughout the county, a shadow minister joined councillors to see the effects on businesses and residents in Ironbridge.
Andrew Gwynne MP, shadow local government and communities secretary, joined Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies and Ironbridge Gorge councillor Carolyn Healy to visit the Gorge, see the damage and discuss future prevention plans.
Mr Gwynne was shown the marks left on walls from the peak of the River Severn and spoke to workers from the Environment Agency who watched as flood barriers along the Wharfage were pushed back by the intense water pressure.
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While Ironbridge is back open for business, among the flood victims was the Dale End Cafe in Coalbrookdale, which was flooded twice in 48 hours and remains shut.
Owner Chris Harrison told Mr Gwynne of the impact it had on him and his wife Sharon Shenton, who runs the business.
“We’ve had two fantastic years here and built up such a good relationship with the community,” Mr Harrison said.
“We have no insurance so we rely on the community. It’ll be a couple of months now before we can reopen.
“The water is all underneath the floor so we’ll have to re-tile it all. Four people have lost their jobs and we haven’t been getting any income for weeks now.”
While the clean-up continues a local business has provided a trailer for the Dale End Cafe to operate out of. A number of fundraising efforts have been set up to help affected businesses, including an online page with a target of £5,000 for the Dale End Cafe.
It has been set up by Julie Ward, of Leegomery, who has been supported by the owners with her own fundraising events.
Mr Gwynne said: “Doesn’t that just show the infectious good nature of the community around here? You don’t get that in many places any more and I’m pleased to see it here in Ironbridge.”
With the river still 1.5 metres higher than normal, Mr Gwynne said the damage was clear to see as he walked along the Wharfage and spoke to the manager of the White Hart, which served its first lunch since the flooding yesterday.
Mr Gwynne said: “It’s clear to see as it’s built in a gorge just how tricky access becomes when something like this happens.” The Labour MP added: “There are hundreds of thousands of people that live close to rivers like here in Ironbridge.
“The government needs to protect them so when we have floods like this they can have peace of mind – and where it’s not possible they need to know they will be reimbursed for the costs they’ve incurred.”
The Shropshire Star has launched a #backtobusiness campaign to support the community following the floods. We want to use our platform to let people know when your business is back in action after the floods, how people can help, and to tell people about the customers and residents who have gone above and beyond to help.
#backtobusiness - how to take part
Let us know when your business is back in action after the floods
Let us know how people can help
Tell us about customers and residents who have gone above and beyond to help
We'll share the best stories with our readers and help Shropshire get back on its feet
TWITTER - use the hashtag #backtobusiness to share your stories with us
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