I am deeply concerned about the Environments Agency’s decision to withdraw from Main River maintenance in Somerset.
This year the government has only allocated the Environment Agency 60% of the funding it has requested for this work. As a result, they now intend to permanently withdraw from maintaining a significant proportion of our statutory Main Rivers.
This is unacceptable. It poses a direct increase in flood risk for parts of the Bridgwater constituency and across Somerset. It also undermines the resilience of our rural communities, farmland, and sensitive environmental sites. My constituents, especially those in places like Moorland who lived through the devastating floods of 2013/14, are rightly alarmed by this news.
That is why I have written to the Government to:
- Provide clarity on future funding and responsibilities for Main River maintenance.
- Recognise the interdependence between Main Rivers and the wider watercourse network.
- Support an adequately funded approach to flood and water level management with proper oversight.
- Instruct the Environment Agency to rescind its withdrawal and reinstate maintenance until a workable long-term solution is agreed.
Somerset cannot afford to see history repeat itself. We need certainty, responsibility, and proper flood defences to protect our communities.
