Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much flooding response funding has been allocated to Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In a flood situation local partners will come together to manage the response and support their communities. These will include our blue light services, the local authority and the Environment Agency as well as community members themselves. Their staff, and volunteers, play such an important role in supporting those affected, for which I am sure the hon.Member will agree they should be thanked and congratulated.
Depending on the severity of the flooding, this will usually be coordinated through the Local Resilience Forum. This is where partners will come together to will manage a response to a flood event that may have impacts on homes, infrastructure, transport links and community hubs.
Flooding can be devasting for those at risk impacted, which is why we are investing £5.2 billion in continuing to build defences that will better protect both homes and business, building on the £2.6 billion invested between 2015 and 2021 which provided better protection to 314,000 homes across England.
I am aware that during Storm Henk in January, the Polesworth gauge on the River Anker recorded its highest level, which would have been very worrying for your constituents. But I am delighted to know that investment already made in Tamworth meant that some 2,500 properties in Tamworth were protected, with only some minor surface water flooding behind defences. Many of which I am sure benefitted from the £15 million Lower Tame scheme, competed in 2015.
Following the recent storms the Environment Agency is assessing its existing defences to ensure they can continue to meet current and future needs. I know the Environment Agency is also exploring with partners the feasibility of the Tamworth Left Bank Flood Alleviation Scheme, on which, if it can go ahead, they anticipate beginning construction in late 2026 with completion expected in early 2029.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department last met with (a) Tamworth Borough Council, (b) Staffordshire County Council and (c) Lichfield District Council to discuss flood preparedness.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency works on plans for flood preparedness and resilience with all Category 1 and 2 responders as part of the Staffordshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF). The membership includes the Environment Agency, Staffordshire County Council, Tamworth Borough Council and Lichfield District Council.
The LRF has regular formal meetings at a Strategic and Tactical level, Staffordshire Civil Contingencies Unit (CCU) provide the Secretariat and coordination.
The dates for the most recent and next planned LRF meetings:
Strategic Group
Tactical Group
The Environment Agency also met with Staffordshire CCU Emergency Planners to influence tactical flood plan guidance for all Districts and Boroughs on 15 November 2023.
During flood incidents all LRF members are invited to attend Flood Advisory Service calls arranged by the Environment Agency to be informed of likely flood impacts. A Flood Advisory Service call was held for Staffordshire LRF members on 02 Jan 2024.
The Environment Agency in its strategic overview role for flood risk, meets with Staffordshire County Council formally at least monthly, as Lead Local Flood Authority for the county, representing Boroughs and Districts. There was a meeting between the Environment Agency and Staffordshire County Council on 19 January 2024.
In addition to its work via Staffordshire County Council, the Environment Agency meets directly with Borough and District Councils as required.
There was a meeting with Tamworth Borough Council in July 2023 to discuss progressing a potential flood risk management scheme in the area.