SOMERSET DOWN THE DRAIN

Lib Dem Somerset County Council voted this week to cut the County's budget for drainage maintenance.

The cut is just one of dozens of cuts that the cash-strapped Council chose to make. It increases the risk of flooding across Somerset. This cut has been described by the Council's own officers as 'High-Risk'.

Anthony Trollope-Bellew, Conservative Group spokesman on Highways, said "Cutting the budget for routine maintenance drainage activities may not sound interesting, but this work is vital to prevent flooding. The Council's own officers admit that the existing systems are struggling to cope as it is, so a further cut in the budget will only increase the problems and raise the number of people's homes being flooded. In addition, Somerset's roads will suffer more damage.''

Ken Maddock, Leader of Somerset County Council's Conservative Group, added, "Everyone in Somerset appreciates the problems of flooding after the devastating floods that the County has suffered in the last year. Everyone, that is, except the Lib Dems, who are showing yet more disregard to local people by slashing this budget. They do not seem to appreciate the misery caused to local families whose homes are flooded."

He added, "Climate change is likely to increase the frequency of storms and heavy rainfall, so we should be doing more for flood prevention rather than cutting existing budgets. Conservatives will take extra practical measures to protect local people from the misery of flooding.''

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For more information: contact Councillor Ken Maddock, Leader of Somerset County Council's Conservative Group, 01823 356784 / 01458 850906 kmaddock@somerset.gov.uk, or Anthony Trollope-Bellew, Group spokesman on Highways, 01823 355066 / 01984 618254 ahtrollopebellew@somerset.gov.uk.