What is the risk of flooding this winter?

At the meeting of the County Council last Thursday, Martin Vye, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, asked the Conservative administration for an urgent risk assessment of those places in Kent that flooded last winter. He said: "We are less than two months away from winter. Already we have had significant downpours causing local flooding. I want to know what risk local residents are facing."

Martin added: "The KCC Cabinet Member responsible for flood prevention told me what I already knew - that multi-agency groups have bee

n set up in a number of vulnerable areas to work out what needs to be done. But residents need up-to-date information on what has been done in their locality to prevent flooding and, crucially, what has not been done, so that they can assess the risk to them and their families and property. The Cabinet Member was not able to give me that answer."

He concluded: "One of the worst things to happen last winter was the flooding of sewage into people's homes and businesses. I note that Southern Water are looking at a fine of many millions of pounds for not dealing with people's complaints. I just wish that instead of a fine they had been made to invest in new sewers that do not leak. And KCC, as the lead authority on flooding, ought to be putting much more pressure on the water companies to stop sewage flooding from happening ever again."