Waveney MP Peter Aldous last Thursday raised concerns about the carrying out and funding of the clear-up costs following the East Coast Storm Surge, highlighting concerns about the effectiveness of the Bellwin scheme.
In a debate on flooding in North Lincolnshire, Mr Aldous took the opportunity to reflect on the impact of the floods in Lowestoft seven weeks on:-
“We now have a full picture of the extent of the damage and how well the clear-up and repair costs are going. In Lowestoft in my constituency, a small geographical area was hit very hard. Although the community rallied superbly, it will take many people and many businesses a long time to recover. A concern that I raised for debate before Christmas was that the Bellwin scheme could constrain councils such as North Lincolnshire and Waveney district council in my own area in their work to get communities back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
Mr Aldous raised the limitations of the Bellwin scheme in terms of the tight timescale for carrying out repair work, the bar on capital expenditure and the case for increasing the percentage of costs that local authorities can recover.
The Minister for Water, Forestry, Rural Affairs and Resource Management, Dan Rogerson, acknowledged Mr Aldous’ concerns and affirmed that the Flooding Minister, Brandon Lewis, is meeting with leaders of local authorities affected by the severe weather to discuss the challenges remaining and the support required.
Mr Aldous shall continue to pursue this issue over the coming weeks.
Hansard
