West Lancashire council to fund setting up and support of flood action group to bid for Environment Agency cash

Dec 27 2012 by Rob Pattinson, Ormskirk Advertiser

RESIDENTS whose homes are at risk of flooding will receive council support for a funding bid to better protect their property.

Cllr Martin Forshaw, portfolio holder for planning, called on colleagues to support a motion to set aside £5,000 to help set up and support a community flood action group to work on a bid to the Environment Agency.

A report drawn up by council officers into where responsibility for flooding lies had mentioned such funding was available but had advised against setting up a group due to the additional resources that would need to be set aside.

MP Rosie Cooper, who had vowed to help residents herself after the report was published ahead of the meeting, said: “This action is better late than never but may not be enough.

“If it only costs £5,000 to help West Lancs residents in their hour of need, I would have thought it a 'no brainer'. “We need the council to make these resources available as quickly as possible.”

During the meeting, an amendment put forward by Cllr Roger Bell and Cllr Forshaw was passed to engage with the council’s strategic flood partners to look into the possibility of identifying a single first point of contact for residents hit by flooding.