David Warburton, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Somerton and Frome, brought the Secretary of State for Environment, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, to Long Sutton on Thursday to discuss future-proofing the threat of flooding on the Somerset Levels.
At a private forum which took place at Long Sutton Golf Club, Mr Paterson met with a group of concerned local residents, landowners and businessmen, to answer their questions on the progress of dredging, the 20 year plan and the formation of the Somerset Rivers Board.
This was the Secretary of State’s second visit to Somerset this year at the invitation of David Warburton. His first visit, during the flooding crisis in January, followed the meeting earlier that month, also initiated by David, between George Eustice MP, Environment Minister, and local flood-affected farmers, business owners and residents in Langport.
The Secretary of State expressed his concern that the Somerset Rivers Board has not yet been set up, and sympathised with locals frustrated by the historic failures of the Environment Agency.
Both David Warburton and Owen Paterson stressed that farmers must claim the money that has been allocated by central government – now £35,000 is available to each. David said “This money is there, waiting for our farmers to claim and I urge them to take advantage of this. If they have any problems with, or questions about, the application process, I would be delighted to help.”
The Secretary of State also took the opportunity to open the 10th Hole at Long Sutton Golf Course, closed for five months due to the flooding. He praised the hard work of Graham Holloway, owner of the Golf Club, for their recovery from the floods.
David Warburton said, “The forum was immensely useful, and I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his continued focus on and invaluable contribution to this critical issue. I will continue to press him for support and assistance for us in this area.
“Just because the rain has stopped doesn’t mean the problem has simply gone away. The flooding crisis on the Levels left a deep scar on the local community, destroying businesses and wrecking hundreds of homes. It is imperative that we have a robust, future-proof plan to prevent anything like that devastation ever happening in Somerset again.”