LOCAL MP Ellie Chowns has called on the government to put more effort into flood prevention following the latest deluges in Herefordshire.

The recently elected Green MP, whose constituency includes the area north of Brampton Abbots, has written to water and flooding minister Emma Hardy demanding the government reverse recent funding cuts to local authorities to ensure they are resourced to regularly clear drains and prevent blockages, ‘which is such a crucial component of flood resilience,’ she said.

The government should also prioritise flood resilience in all aspects of urban and rural planning, incorporating this into the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

And it must invest in natural means of flood management in tandem with farmers, and include this in the upcoming budget, she wrote.

“The threat from flooding is sadly not going away, and I will continue to press the government for action to ensure our communities are resilient and safe in the face of future flooding,” Dr Chowns said.

She told the Commons: “Sadly this week my own constituency is subject to flooding, roads and schools are closed and soil is washing soil into roads and rivers,” and called for a debate in Parliament “on the crucial issue of flood prevention and action”.

Herefordshire councillors last week unanimously backed a motion put forward by Ross-on-Wye Liberal Democrat Ed O’Driscoll to prioritise mapping and fixing the county’s drainage networks.