European Flooding Disaster Relief Funding

[Lighttouch]

We always like to pitch in and help other countries out when disaster strikes.

But hang on a minute - certain parts of Scotland, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Wales have had devastating floods due to lack of flood water defences or none at all - but where's the financial help for areas.

The answer is Europe. Perhaps it's about time that this Country sought some help from the European Commision for relief funding. One of four priorities are . . .

1. Strengthening the territory's resilience to risks of natural, climate and human origin, to support a better protection and management of the territories.
2. These areas could benefit IF THE APPLIED
3. 
   
   • Greater Manchester
   • Lancashire
   • Cheshire
   • Merseyside
   • SOUTH WEST
   • Dorset & Somerset
   • Cornwall & Isles Of Scilly
   • Devon
   • WALES
   • East Wales
   • South Western Scotland
   • Highlands and Islands
   • NORTHERN IRELAND

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/...014tc16rftn002

[reddivine]

Never mind fighting over money to "build flood defences", start looking after the ones we have and have had for centuries.
Every ancient woodland drinks gallons and gallons of water. Every garden that is concreted over does NOT. The disappearance of hedges in favour of fences (less manintenance HA!) theres another defence gone!
If the government continues to build on flood plains and cut down trees AND NOT REPLANT AN EQUIVALENT NUMBER, what the heck can it expect?
This is not a disaster come out of nowhere...global warming is real and present danger. We live on (in global terms) a finite island. Coasts are being eroded. Town planning has a great deal to answer for. Man cannot continue to think the environment is a commodity to be used and moulded to suit and that houses can be built everywhere.

[Lighttouch]

I can't disagree with anything you've said here.

Another thing I don't understand is why Councils allow building developments on flood plains! If they do you'd think they'd insist that the homes were built on stilts, have waterproof plaster, solid floors and raised electric sockets - it's not rocket science!

I live in a bungalow but not in a flood area but if it was I'd have nowhere accessible to live - there for the grace of god!

If anyone on here happens to have their area affected by flood water then forward the above link to your local MP and demand action!

[rich-ward]

Never mind fighting over money to "build flood defences", start looking after the ones we have and have had for centuries.
Every ancient woodland drinks gallons and gallons of water. Every garden that is concreted over does NOT. The disappearance of hedges in favour of fences (less manintenance HA!) theres another defence gone!
If the government continues to build on flood plains and cut down trees AND NOT REPLANT AN EQUIVALENT NUMBER, what the heck can it expect?
This is not a disaster come out of nowhere...global warming is real and present danger. We live on (in global terms) a finite island. Coasts are being eroded. Town planning has a great deal to answer for. Man cannot continue to think the environment is a commodity to be used and moulded to suit and that houses can be built everywhere.

Excellent post here reddivine.

We all need to start taking responsibility for where we live, the state it's in and the planet.

Perhaps if Governments were less obsessed with the 'economy' and 'growth', if only Society were less caught up in a 'spend, spend, spend' mentality where it seems low prices and convenience is what matters - not the negative impact this might have on someone or someplace.

I live in hope.

[vantage]

The inconvenient truth, to coin a phrase, is that the dredging of rivers is hardly carried out any more. It's been reintroduced in the Somerset Levels only after the flooding there.

The lack of dredging, and associated flow management including clearing bridges etc, has meant that even small amounts of excess water causes a flooding risk.

Fines use to be imposed if dredging wasn't carried out by the land owner. Since 1997 that responsibility sits with the Environment Agency, and since the introduction of the European Water Framework Directive in 2000 dredging is actively discouraged, or even prevented.

So perhaps some EU money to help solve a problem caused by, or at least exacerbated by, the EU, is a good idea.

[fwipperie]

I feel this is contributing to the case for leaving the EU. I feel this will happen after referendum as people waking up to fiasco which is EU.

[TheFlyingKidney]

There's a lot of talk of flood defences ( the media LOVES this, its a word like WAR, Defence, Disaster) very few reporters or politicians, have talked about planning and water management, from cleared rivers, to reintroduction of beavers, to domestic soakaways and greenery. Most of us with common sense have mentioned the above!

Sadly most developers will look at car space, and how many humans you can put in a concrete block.

Europe actually has a lot of answers, Holland, a small country much of which below sea level, and actually looks in part a bit like Somerset.


http://www.theguardian.com/environme...-climate-proof

Rather proud of my Dutch heritage now

[Lighttouch]

This afternoon I went to Wigan to visit a friend and lunched out.

We visited a very old country pub and was surprised to find it had been under 12 inches of water on Boxing Day.

Luckily the pub had stone slab flooring and it's own generated plus pumps to get rid of the water!

Going by the age of the pub it had probably been flooded out many times before but the staff just got on with it and cleaned up.

Surprisingly the pub was full - business as usual.

Very impressed and the food was good too!

[reddivine]

You started this thread as a discussion on the current situation @ flooding - and as Manchester got hit - rather close to home.
Just read this, which confirms what I and many many others have been saying.......
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...k-flooding-how

[rich-ward]

You started this thread as a discussion on the current situation @ flooding - and as Manchester got hit - rather close to home.
Just read this, which confirms what I and many many others have been saying.......
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...k-flooding-how

Sorry, reddivine, when I click on the link it takes me to the website but says page not found.