The Petition of Moreton in Marsh Resilience Group, and others,

Declares that Moreton in Marsh is at risk from further serious flooding; further declares that following severe flooding in July 2007 when 260 homes and premises were flooded, minimal action has been taken to repair flood relief channels and also gullies, drains and culverts remain blocked after almost two years; considers that another flood in December 2008, although not so severe, illustrated the threat of more floods into the homes of people in the town; and believes that urgent action must be taken, and quickly, to prevent the town becoming flooded again.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to do all in his power to persuade Cotswold District Council, Gloucester County Council, the Environment Agency, and Thames Water to fulfil their responsibilities to the town and people of Moreton in Marsh and to act swiftly to avoid further flooding.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Official Report, 9 June 2009; Vol. 493, c. 764 .]

[P000379]

Observations from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

The Government takes flooding in residential areas very seriously and regrets the flooding incidents to the town and people of Moreton in Marsh in summer 2007. The Environment Agency advise that these events were caused by a combination of high levels of surface water run-off, overflowing drains and the River Evenlode overtopping its banks. Since the floods the Agency have been working closely with Gloucestershire County Council, Cotswold District Council and Thames Water to reduce flood risk for the town. This has included for example work on new trash screens at the upstream end of the River Evenlode, culvert clearance and maintenance, and improvements to the flood warning service.

The Government accepts that it has not always been clear who had responsibility for responding to flood events in urban areas. That is why we announced, in our response to Sir Michael Pitt’s report into the major flooding events in summer 2007, that the Environment Agency will have a new national strategic overview role for all forms of flood risk. Local authorities (identified as County Councils or Unitary authorities) will be taking responsibility for local groundwater and surface water management for which nobody has previously been clearly responsible. The Agency will work closely with local authorities on their on-the ground management of surface water flooding so that comprehensive assessments of local flood risk will be possible for the first time.