Senior councillor promises steps are being taken to prevent flooding problems across Essex (From Southend Standard)
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Senior councillor promises steps are being taken to prevent flooding problems across Essex
7:00am Thursday 29th November 2012 in Echo News By Chloe Chapman
A SENIOR councillor insists steps are being taken to prevent problems on the county’s transport networks during severe weather.
Ray Howard, an Essex County Councillor and deputy member for highways and transport, has been a long-term campaigner for flood defences across the county and believes that for the first time in his four decades in local government effective steps are being taken to prevent problems.
Mr Howard said: “Before no one wanted to own up to the responsibility of solving flooding issues, but ever since it has been put in Essex County Council control something is actually being done. We are now working together alongside other agencies to move forward.
“The problem at this time of year is the drains get clogged up with leaves and although I have definitely seen machines out clearing them it is not something which can just be sorted overnight. We need to bear in mind that heavy rain was falling non stop on Monday night, and Essex actually hasn’t ended up that bad compared to other parts of the country. Unfortunately all that water has to go somewhere.
“Obviously there are serious problems when people are unable to get to work, but we have identified the problem areas and will now focus on solving the issues.”
Mr Howard raised his concerns at a regional flood defence committee in Suffolk yesterday.
Comments(8)
Ian P
says...
7:53am Thu 29 Nov 12
Perhaps someone should remind Ray Howard that the problem areas identify themselves everytime we have heavy rain and have done for many years. The Fairglen interchange has been flooding since it was built. In fact somewhere in the archives of local papers there will be pictures of families in rubber dinghies using it as a boating lake.
exBillericayDicky
says...
9:11am Thu 29 Nov 12
Eric Whim
says...
10:20am Thu 29 Nov 12
dhd
says...
11:21am Thu 29 Nov 12
exBillericayDicky wrote:This is true but no lessons have been learnt as the developers still want to build in unsuitable areas. Also people ripping up lawns, chopping down trees and hedges and replacing with block paving, decking and fences are compounding the problems as there is nothing to soak the rain up.
If we hadn't spent years building on flood plains, and damaging natures natural drainage system we wouldn't have half the "problems" we do now
Olivia2847
says...
11:25am Thu 29 Nov 12
Eric Whim wrote:Too little, too late by a man totally out of touch ....
he's going to get Ball, Buckley, Rackley, Blake and the rest of the blimps from Basildon Council to lieinthepath of any flood water....
Brunning999
says...
5:02pm Thu 29 Nov 12
They ALL make e sick with their verbal diarrhea .
Fairglen floods every time we have continual rain has done for 40 years and for 40 years we hear the same cr p.
The money lost to the country Tuesday was millions private companies struggled lost orders and arrived late at jobs, public servants always get paid and some teachers gave up and never got into school.
Either they fix it or RAY shut the fook up.
Olivia2847
says...
2:03pm Fri 30 Nov 12
Brunning999 wrote:Exactly sir .....
Look at it another way wait to summer and the drought situation, what comes around goes around rather like the idiotic Politicians.
They ALL make e sick with their verbal diarrhea .
Fairglen floods every time we have continual rain has done for 40 years and for 40 years we hear the same cr p.
The money lost to the country Tuesday was millions private companies struggled lost orders and arrived late at jobs, public servants always get paid and some teachers gave up and never got into school.
Either they fix it or RAY shut the fook up.
Brunning999 says...
7:42am Thu 29 Nov 12
Politicians = ****