Council calls for action on flooding in Central Bedfordshire

Following the recent impact of Storm Henk, Central Bedfordshire Council has called for more to be done to tackle an increase in local flooding and other extreme weather events.

A meeting of Full Council last week debated the local response to recent flooding, which can have a huge impact on local communities.

The council said: that thanks to the work of partners, including property owners, local volunteers, water companies, and the Environment Agency, only a small number of properties were flooded internally in Storm Henk.

Approximately 20 properties were reported to have been flooded internally from Storm Henk, with many more properties affected in some way by external flooding, flooding to the roads and of local infrastructure including water company pumping stations.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Adam Zerny, who visited many of the affected areas in the aftermath of the flooding to see for himself the extent of the damage.

Councillor Zerny said: "Wherever I went, residents told me of the damage to their properties and the great upheaval it had caused to their lives. In many cases there was praise for the emergency services, for the fire service, police, and for the council's own emergency responders.

"I have written to every town and parish council in Central Bedfordshire asking them to provide a list of where the worst flood damage was, where and when the same scenes had taken place in recent years, what complaints had since been raised and with whom, and what had been done.

"That will help us and our partners to identify what more we can do."

Mr Zerny has called for a meeting with all local partners to establish what more can be done to protect communities in Central Bedfordshire. This will include local water companies, the Bedfordshire Internal Drainage Board, town and parish councils, and emergency services.

The Council's flooding lead, Councillor Simon Ford, confirmed they will also use their place on the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, led by the Environment Agency, to lobby for more action and resources, and influence local policy.