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

The recently elected Green MP has written to water and flooding minister Emma Hardy demanding the government reverse recent funding cuts to councils to ensure they are resourced to regularly clear drains and prevent blockages, “which is such a crucial component of flood resilience”.

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

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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 on Thursday October 17: “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”.

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Leader of the House Lucy Powell MP said she was “sorry to hear of what’s happening in her constituency” and had “already taken note of calls for a debate on flood resilience”.

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.

Coun O’Driscoll has since said he is “pushing for implementation meeting” on the proposal with council officers.