Cheltenham MP Lands National Flood Role

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood has been picked by the Liberal Democrats to speak for the party in Parliament on the forthcoming Floods Bill - and he wants local people to help him prepare for the role.

Two years on from the floods that devastated Gloucestershire and other parts of the country in 2007, the Lib Dems have confirmed that the Cheltenham MP will be its national spokesman on the bill which is expected before Parliament this autumn. The bill, already published in draft form, sets out the government's plans for better co-ordination of flood defence, warnings and emergency response.

Martin will be writing to tens of thousands of Cheltenham residents in the coming weeks to ask for their views and experiences, two years on.

Martin said "My suspicion is that there are still many unresolved issues people in Cheltenham have and this is a golden opportunity for me to raise them at national level. The government has spent years consulting but has still dodged some of the most difficult issues that arose from the flooding. Where are the measures to change Ofwat's remit so that water companies have a clearer responsibility to spend more of their profits on preventing local flooding? Where are the measures to ensure that insurance companies treat people fairly who have been flooded or are at risk? Where are the changes to the planning laws to put a stop to development on greenfield sites that will make flooding worse?"

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said "With his extensive knowledge of the natural environment and his experience of supporting those affected by flooding in Gloucestershire, I know that Martin will do a first rate job holding the Government to account on the Floods Bill.

“Martin is widely recognised in Westminster as a tireless champion for his constituency, his work on this Bill will help ensure that the devastation in Cheltenham wrought by the floods of two years ago won’t be repeated.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Tim Farron said “It’s clear for anyone to see, that despite their protestations, the Government still has a huge backlog of flood relief works in many parts of the country.

“With severe floods likely to become more common due to climate change, we need a real strategy and real investment to protect high-risk areas.

“If the Government is serious about reducing the risk of flooding, they have to step up their efforts to front load investment in flood relief schemes in high risk areas across the country.”