KEETCH GRAVELY CONCERNED OVER FLOOD SCHEME PROTEST

10.30.00am GMT Mon 26th Feb 2007

Paul Keetch, MP for Hereford, has made known his serious concerns about the possible loss of flood defence funding if members of the public do not come to terms with the current situation. The Environment Agency have organised an exhibition which will take place on Wednesday, 28 February, at Left Bank Village, Hereford, giving the public the opportunity to see plans of the scheme.

"Posters drawn up by the protesters suggest that this event is for public consultation which is totally misleading," Mr Keetch said.

"The EA has NOT agreed a further period of consultation. Garry Thomas, or whoever has drafted this poster, is wrong to make this suggestion. What the EA have agreed is an exhibition this week to show local residents what the scheme proposes. There have been months of consultation that I was involved with and I tend to agree with local press coverage this week, asking why, at the eleventh hour, such a fuss is being made?

"I have been in discussion with the EA and with Garry Thomas over the last couple of weeks and I told Garry last week that, whilst the EA are happy to discuss finer details, such as the finishes on walls etc, nothing could be done to alter the basic design or timescale of the scheme at this crucial time. This scheme has received its final consent after a period of 4 or 5 months consultation and if major changes were proposed a fresh planning application might be required.

"As for the suggestion that they want the whole project delayed by 20-24 months, this is just not feasible. The scheme has government funding and a public body has to spend the monies allocated within a specified period of time, if it does not spend it, it will be lost. I don't like this process but it is the process we have to work with and in the case of the flood defence scheme it simply means that if we don't go ahead on time and on budget this chance will be lost.

"If we lose the funding because we are unable to proceed it will be allocated to other areas that are desperate to have flood defences constructed and those homes in Hereford that are flooded will face grimmer futures as a consequence. I am asking myself if this situation is going to be reminiscent of the bypass fiasco in the late 80s when government funding was lost simply because the decision to go east or west was deliberated upon too long and the public were split. I am determined to see the flood defence scheme go ahead and not lose out again.

"The EA have a duty laid down by Parliament to protect the homes of my constituents from flooding and, as the MP, I intend to see that they honour that obligation," Mr Keetch added.