Burnham-On-Sea’s MP Ashley Fox has joined forces with neighbouring Somerset MP Tessa Munt in calling for an urgent parliamentary debate following controversial cuts to flood prevention work announced by the Environment Agency.
The decision, which affects maintenance of several rivers and waterways across the county, has sparked fears of a repeat of the devastating floods seen in 2012 and 2013/14.
We reported here that the Environment Agency (EA) announced in mid-August that it would be stop maintaining a significant proportion of Somerset’s rivers and waterways, having received only 60 per cent of the funding it had requested from the Treasury.
Ashley Fox, MP for Burnham-On-Sea and Bridgwater, raised the issue in the House of Commons this week, warning that the lack of maintenance could lead to serious flooding. He urged the Government to allocate time for a full debate on the matter.
Ashley Fox said: “In December 2024, I asked the Leader of the House for a debate on the EA’s failure to adequately dredge Somerset’s rivers and maintain our drainage network.”
“The EA has now announced that it will withdraw entirely from main river maintenance in Somerset.”
“My constituents are concerned that without proper maintenance we may see a repeat of the devastating 2013/14 floods.”
“May I repeat my request to her to find Government time for a debate on the EA’s failure to fulfil its duties?”
Tessa Munt, MP for Wells and villages surrounding Burnham-On-Sea, echoed the concerns, calling on the Environment Secretary to delay the cuts until all local flood risk groups and drainage authorities have had a chance to meet and plan a sustainable solution.
Tessa said: “The EA has issued notice of its permanent withdrawal from main river maintenance to riparian owners in Somerset and North Somerset.”
“The Leader of the House and Defra ministers will recall the devastation caused by flooding in 2012, 2013 and 2014.”
“Regular maintenance is essential to allow floodwater to escape from what is a man-made landscape in the Somerset Levels and Moors.”
“Will she ask the environment secretary [Steve Reed MP] to insist that the EA rescinds its withdrawal notices until such a time as locally all the flood risk management groups, the internal drainage board, the South West Association of Drainage Authorities and every interested party has a chance at least to meet, discuss and plan a sustainable and funded solution for the future, and that, importantly, it carries on maintaining the main rivers in the meantime? Winter is coming, and rainfall with it.”
Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell MP responded that she could not guarantee a parliamentary debate, but would help to facilitate meetings between all Somerset’s MPs and the relevant ministers.
Responding to Mr Fox, she said: “This is not the first time that I have heard of problems in the EA and about its not following through on the commitments that it has given.”
“I will ensure that that he gets a ministerial response, but we are determined that the EA and others should be held to account for the actions they take, and that they should take more responsibility for prevention.”
The EA said that it had to allocate its resources towards the areas in Somerset at most urgent risk of flooding, and that the proposed changes to “discretionary” maintenance would not result in large numbers of properties being put at any greater risk.
A spokesperson says: “We have made the decision to reduce discretionary vegetation cutting on some specific sections of watercourses, because the work we have been doing has been identified as having a relatively low flood risk benefit compared to areas with more properties.”
“We have to prioritise what works can be delivered to minimise flood risk with the funding available. We will continue to manage the risk of flooding and maintain our assets, flood alleviation schemes and monitoring water courses to provide flood warning services.”
The issue is expected to be discussed further by the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) board when it meets in Taunton on September 12th.
