27/6/08
The waters rising on flood risk areas
“Urgent and fundamental changes” are needed according to the chair of a review into last year’s disaster in Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Sir Michael Pitt’s review described last years flood's as: "the countries largest peace time disaster since World War Two."
It criticised the flood warning system currently in place and called for greater cooperation between the Environment Agency and the Met Office. He praised the actions of the emergency services in minimising the loss of life and damage to property.
But the report calls for tighter planning regulations for houses built in flood risk areas and better protection of vital infrastructure like power plants. MP Hillary Benn has promised an action plan to deal with “the ever increasing threat of flooding”. The England wide plan will see £5 million spent on surface water management but the details on how it will be allocated are yet to be announced.
A national flood emergency framework will be brought in by the end of next month. The draft Flood and Water Bill is being brought forward to the next parliamentary session.
Bournemouth council state that they have: “no legal responsibility to provide assistance to residents during times of flood, however the Council has provided emergency assistance on an ad hoc basis dependent upon local knowledge and experience of the situation. The Council, at times of emergency, will be endeavouring to protect the public at large and will not be able to assist a large number of individual homeowners who may find their properties threatened".
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s current projections, flooding will become more likely as rainfall levels increase and become more intense.
Links
To find out more about climate change and flooding in Bournemouth click here
For the full report into last years floods click here