David Warburton, the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Somerton and Frome, today brought Liz Truss MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, to Muchelney to see road raising project from Muchelney to Drayton. The campaign is an important part of the protection for Somerset residents from the devastating effects of flooding which they experienced last winter.
Today Liz Truss MP also visited The Almonry Barn Wedding Venue in Muchelney, an exclusive wedding venue based in the heart of the village. Since it’s establishment just two years ago, Almonry Barn has twice been devastated by floods, forcing the owners to bear substantial refurbishment costs just to keep the business going.
David Warburton said, “It’s vital that we hold the government to account on the issue of Somerset flooding, and by bringing the Environment Minister to Muchelney to see for herself the work that’s needed here to protect homes and businesses, I can keep the pressure on government to honour their assurances and fulfil their obligations to protect Somerset from ever being devastated by flooding again. The road from Muchelney to Drayton was the last road to be submerged during the floods, and together with local residents I’ve campaigned hard to push for this vital highway to be raised.”
David continued, “Over the past ten months I have persistently lobbied senior government figures on this issue, including Owen Paterson MP, the environment minister George Eustice MP and the new Secretary of State for Environment Liz Truss MP – all of whom have visited Somerset flood-sites at my invitation. Effective flood-prevention measures are of the utmost importance to this area, and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure we have robust and permanent defences against any threat of future flooding.
David has also lobbied both Somerset County Council and the Somerset Rivers Board to push for the prioritisation of the raising of this crucial road out of Muchelney. The cost of raising the road is estimated at £1m and is part of the government’s Twenty Year Plan to future-proof Somerset from the devastating effects of flooding.