The Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats have hit out at the Conservative government for the poor response to flooding on the Island following repeated cuts to the Environment Agency budget and funding for the Isle of Wight Council. Local environmental campaigner and Liberal Democrat, Ray Harrington-Vail, has said that the Government has more than halved the Environment Agency’s environmental protection budget – from £170million in 2009/10 to £76 million in 2019/2*. This is despite their workload dramatically increasing. Mr Harrington-Vail adds:
“The Environment Agency is ultimately responsible for giving guidance on water management and overseeing and investing in flood prevention. Initially, the Agency had a reasonable amount of funding and was able to carry out their work, including the monitoring of our waterways for pollution.
“The recent flooding that has hit Ryde, East Cowes, Newport and many villages, could have been better contained and managed if the Agency was able to do their job. The Isle of Wight Council struggles to deliver maintenance and preventative works due to central government funding cuts. “We have to accept the fact that flooding events which only happened every 100 years or so are now going to increase, due to shift in weather patterns caused by climate change. On the Island flooding in Newport and other areas has increased to the canalisation of brooks and streams, building on flood plains and destruction of wetlands and ponds, all of which act as holding areas for excess water.”
Well, as I see it water falls from the sky, it runs downhill then becomes a stream, then a river then it runs out to the sea. It evaporates back into the sky, and then falls as rain again?
Surely the issue is all about how it gets back to the sea?
I would wager that the River Medina is pretty much clogged up with all the mud that washes down and the harbour especially.
Perhaps if the river was wider and deeper, then it may flow out to sea quicker? This will also be the issue in Ryde, but of course that has had £millions spent trying to reverse nature!
The Medina floods at high tide. No amount of drredging or clearing will affect the height of the tide. What matters is how much capacity there is upstream of the point where rivers and streams join the tidal water. That capacity is eroded by bad management of floodplains and rivers.
But surely water finds its own level so as soon as a bucket of silt is taken out of the bottom the water will just go straight into the hole made.
What do the libs want us to do? Build infrastructure?
Now lets be honest here…facts are the only truth…all OUR money wasted on the floating turd would of covered ANY cutbacks
No, it wouldn’t. Facts are indeed the only truth – but whose facts?
Ooh, let’s all jump on a bandwagon. Does anyone even remember the lib dems anymore? They became unelectable as soon as they campaigned to make drugs legal. Imagine what the roads would have been like then…
It’s always easy to blame lack of money but I don’t think prevention was a top priority before these recent floods.
The Romans built sea defences and even reclaimed land. How come our society can’t?
Because slavery is no longer legal! Maybe the next Tory manifesto will change that. Probably one of their key targets in the long run.
They should pay me to give advice on flooding.
Don’t build or live next to water.
Expect occasional flooding in areas that contain a water source.
Don’t try to control Mother Nature
Stop looking for someone to blame for living in a flood-risk area.
I’ll take 60k a year please
People have been quick to blame southern water. But honestly the figures should be pointed at our dear old council for their lack in response when providing efficient infrastructure regarding drainage. You build new paths, rip up roads but fail to put in storm drains that can cope. But thank goodness we have wight fibre. Get your priorities right first before worrying about big business investment projects.
It’s always flooded.Look at historical data.
I thought they were supposed to have an Alliance ????
All this sniping, back stabbing, guilt trip’s, blaming each other etc ,proves they are all as bad as each other ……
Total Cr – p.
.mmmmm
Waste of space …….
There is a team of 2 people sub contracted by the EA on the island to deal with any flooding issues. This can be increased to a maximum of 6 people if it’s deemed an emergency. There was 1 team of 2 dealing with the recent floods that destroyed so many homes and businesses. They installed 2 of the 6 boards in the Ryde flood defences then were told to get to Newport to try to help with the floods there, by the time they got back to Ryde it was too late to put the rest of the boards in. More funding, more teams, less flooding… not really a bandwagon.