That this House notes with concern the unprecedented impact of Storm Chandra on Somerset and the South West; expresses alarm that 50 properties have been flooded in the area, with more homes being evacuated due to further risk of flooding; recognises that Somerset is particularly vulnerable to flooding with low lying land and river catchments that can become overwhelmed very quickly in periods heavy and prolonged rainfall; notes the devastating impact flooding has on physical infrastructure with more than 850 road defects reported over recent days; expresses alarm that analysis of the impact of Environment Agency funding re-prioritisation found that Somerset could face a repeat of the devastating 2013/14 floods that impacted over 10,000 hectares of land; expresses further concern that residents living in at-risk communities face higher council tax and insurance bills and will be hit harder by cuts to the Environment Agency; further notes the decision by the Environment Agency to withdraw maintenance on Main Rivers in Somerset, instead putting responsibility on riparian owners; notes the impact that the crisis in local government funding has had on the ability of local lead flood authorities to take action; urges the Government to show leadership on flood resilience by urgently reversing funding cuts in order to allow areas to commit to long-term extreme weather resilience plans; and calls on the Government to raise the ELM budget by £1 billion, to support farmers in their transition to environmentally sustainable farming and recognise their key role in accepting and managing flood water.
