Somerset County Councillor and Prospective Conservative MP for Yeovil, Marcus Fysh met Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to see first hand the flood relief effort in Somerset last week.
Marcus thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment and support for Somerset and the South West. They talked about how the focus will shift to getting back to normal once the flood waters finally recede, including to boosting tourism bookings that have suffered, and building resilience for the future.
Marcus stressed the economic importance of consistent, rapid transport links both between the economic hubs of the region and to London, and welcomed news that A303 dualing would be brought forward as an urgent national priority.
The Prime Minister said "Robust links for the South West are essential so that this beautiful area remains open for business and reaches its full potential as part of our long term economic plan for people's prosperity."
Marcus highlighted that local Conservatives have been trying to get a more balanced South Somerset Local Plan for growth that would put homes and jobs in the right place by taking green field development pressure off the market towns, and minimise the associated rainwater run-off that is already backing up local rivers and filling the Somerset Levels.
Marcus said "I am grateful to the Prime Minister for the chance to discuss some of the issues that are important to us here as we move from relief to recovery and are thinking about the future. There's more to do, but it's great that he is so involved and open to us, and focused on the detail of what is happening in our area."