RORY PUSHES FOR CLARITY ON FUTURE FLOOD DEFENCE PLANS FOR RICKERBY AND LOW CROSBY

On Friday 27th October, Rory Stewart MP convened a meeting between local residents and area, county and local Environment Agency managers to discuss the Agency’s plans for future flood defences in Rickerby and Low Crosby. Both communities were badly affected by the winter 2015-16 flooding, and have been pushing for clarity on the schemes proposed and the related timescale. Andy Brown, Flood Risk Manager for Cumbria, and Iwan Lawton, the local specialist, discussed the potential for upstream measures to reduce peak flood flows and the overall strategy for the Lower Eden valley. They then turned to discuss the detail of the two lead options for Low Crosby, describing potential arrangements around Warwick Holmes and the scope for additional defences to the west of the village. Finally, they described a new approach developed to deliver a viable scheme for Rickerby, commencing next year, building on synergies, economies of scale and knock-on benefits from the broader Carlisle area developments. Keith Ashcroft, Area Director, summed up by affirming the Agency’s determination to find the best possible solution for both communities in a timely and constructive manner.

Rory said: “I am extremely pleased that the Environment Agency has now found a solution to the challenge of delivering flood defences for Rickerby, and that we will be seeing progress on this in the near future. I am confident that they will also continue to focus on practical measures to improve flood resilience in Low Crosby, and that we will see their thinking crystallising into workable plans in due course. Both communities have suffered from flooding on multiple occasions, and it is important that we use the government’s booster funding for Cumbria to make progress on these longstanding problems. I will continue to work with residents throughout Penrith and The Border to push for progress in these difficult areas.”