Government Environment Minister Rebecca Pow has visited Matlock to discuss flooding issues after the town was affected in February following days of heavy rain.
The Minister met with Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines who had arranged the visit, Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis, County Councillor for Highways Assets and Transport Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal and representatives from Severn Trent and the Environment Agency.
Our highways officers also attended the visit to show the Minister the areas which had been affected, including the flood damage off Crown Square which can be seen from the bridge, and explain what measures were taken at the time and work that had been carried out over the past few weeks.
During the visit Ms Pow also spoke to local shop keepers whose premises had been affected including Andrew Fearn of Stanley Fearn Cycles.
Following the tour the party made their way up to County Hall to discuss the issues in more detail and look at what further measures could be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future, including what government support might be available.
Councillor Barry Lewis said:
“I welcomed the chance to discuss with Rebecca Pow the issues that we are facing not only in Matlock but in other parts of the county too.
“Since the severe floods in 2019 we have been calling on the government for extra resources so that the issues can be tackled and we can support local businesses and residents.
“I sincerely hope that following this visit we will see some positive moves towards this happening. It needs to be a team effort by all the partners involved, but the key lies in the resources to get this moving.”
Sarah Dines MP said:
“It was fantastic to welcome the Flooding Minister Rebecca Pow MP to Matlock to meet Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and the county council.
“I invited the Minister because I am determined to find a long-term solution to the flooding problem in Matlock and across Derbyshire Dales and I hope this meeting was a step in the right direction.
“We will only find a solution to these problems by all stakeholders working together and I am positive that following the meeting, everyone is committed to this.”
Following the recent flooding we reinstated our Floods Hardship Funds, first established following the flooding across the county in 2019.
People whose homes or businesses were affected in the recent floods can still apply to the fund.
Find more information on flooding.
