PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Dave Mitchell
Date of Issue: September 9th 2008
Contact numbers:
0151 327 2095
07934 197451

Councillor calls on utilities to take action following flood ‘misery'

A councillor has called for urgent action after last weekend's flooding caused misery for hundreds of Wirral residents.

Councillor Dave Mitchell, Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats on Wirral Council's Streetscene and Transport Services Scrutiny Committee said,

“The responsibility lies with United Utilities and the Environment Agency to get rid of the surplus surface rainwater from our highway network.

“They say that the Council needs to ensure it keeps the drains clean - and we have a regime that does that. However it's now becoming obvious that the drainage system that the water runs into can't cope with the changes in weather patterns.

“There is no typical season any more - no showers - but rather sudden torrential rain which is hard to predict.

“We need urgently to get together with United Ut ilities and the Environment Agency to find the best solution to these new weather conditions and the flooding problems they bring.

“It's not good enough to say that the weather has caused the flooding. If it leads to misery for residents and stops people getting to work every time it occurs, we need to be ahead of the game rather than playing catchup.

“Climate change is not a sudden phenomenon.”

Councillor Mitchell's proposal, unanimously agreed at last night's Streetscene and Transport Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, called for a report and a Working Party to look at drainage problems across the borough with respect to highways.

Councillor Mitchell concluded,

“Firstly we want a report on the ongoing problems; we know that certain areas are prone to flooding; then we want to work out the best solution for the people of Wirral.”