Lincolnshire county councillor raises concerns about progress on flood prevention measures
A concerned councillor is not satisfied that leaders are acting urgently enough to implement flood protection measures.
The storm impact working group was established by Lincolnshire County Council following the damage caused by Storm Babet in October 2023 and Storm Henk in January 2024.
The group put together a series of 12 recommendations to prevent the risk of flooding in Lincolnshire but Coun Ian Carrington (Conservative) told councillors at the environment scrutiny meeting on Friday (June 27) that he has not been given assurances that these measures will be fully implemented.
The recommendations included the need for local plans for the communities affected, improved guidance for homeowners in high-risk areas and a commitment to protect wildlife.
Coun Carrington said: “It was a series of important recommendations. They were designed with urgency in mind and to try to reduce the level of flooding and flood risks for residents.
“What I’m concerned about is that I would like to get assurance from the leadership [of Lincolnshire County Council] that those recommendations will be included in full. They weren’t able to give me that assurance.”
The Conservative councillor, who represents the Potterhanworth and Coleby division, told the committee he wasn’t happy with the response from the chairman of the meeting, Coun Adrian Findley, and the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, Coun Sean Matthews.
He said: “These are important matters which have caused very great concern across our county. What I’m getting initially from Coun Matthews and now from yourself [the meeting chairman] is not an answer.”
Chris Miller, head of environment at Lincolnshire County Council, responded to these concerns.
He said: “The work of the storm impact working group and the recommendations made were signed off by the previous portfolio holder and many of the recommendations have already been completed.
“The intention was to bring that back to the next scrutiny committee under the flood, risk and water management team update so we can go through the recommendations that have been worked through and we are with the ones that are remaining following the election.”
Coun Danny Brookes (Reform UK), executive councillor for the environment, told councillors that the recommendations were being considered.
Coun Brookes said: “The points have all been noted and the vast majority have already been implemented. The ones that we are looking at now, we are looking at and I will give you a written reply as soon as possible.”
But Coun Carrington said he wasn’t satisfied with the response he was getting from leading councillors.
He said: “That is not really going to satisfy the people of Lincolnshire. They thought they had a set of recommendations that had been accepted in full and it seems various people in the political domain, rather than the officer domain, are bending over backwards not to give a simple assurance which is all we ask for that all of those recommendations.
“We’re now two months in and I’m afraid there’s no excuse for this delay which is causing uncertainty and great distress amongst people who have suffered repeatedly from flooding.”
He added: “My residents are very worried about when the recommendations from the working group will be implemented. I’ve asked the question but I still haven’t got an answer.”