Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has urged Parliament to hold an urgent debate on Somerset’s flood response arrangements as communities across the county continue to face rising water levels.
It comes after Somerset Council declared a major incident this week, warning that further homes are likely to flood as heavy rainfall pushes already‑saturated moors to breaking point.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ashley said residents are experiencing water levels rising “faster than during the devastating floods of 2013/14,” prompting growing concern in villages across the Levels.
He thanked frontline teams from the Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards and local councils who are “working around the clock” to manage the situation, but warned that the pace of flooding is outstripping long‑standing assumptions.
Ashley highlighted that Currymoor — which historically took around ten days to fill — has reached capacity in just four days this week. Communities in Fordgate and Moorland, he said, are watching water rise “with increasing anxiety.”
He questioned whether current flood response systems are still fit for purpose, raising concerns about outdated trigger points for action, delays in deploying emergency pumps at Northmoor, and the Environment Agency’s withdrawal from routine main river maintenance.
Ashley also criticised the continued approval of development on floodplains without sufficient mitigation, warning that it is “increasing the risk to existing homes and communities.”
Following the exchange, he said recent flooding had exposed how vulnerable many Somerset communities remain.
“Residents are seeing water rise faster than ever before, and they are understandably worried,” he said. “It is right to ask whether the systems guiding flood response are keeping pace with what is happening on the ground.”
He added that a full parliamentary debate is needed to examine emergency pump readiness, river maintenance, outdated response thresholds and the long‑term impact of building on high‑risk land.
Ashley has formally requested that Parliament schedule time to consider the issues in detail.
