On Thursday 26th October Sarah Dines MP welcomed Right Honourable Rebecca Pow MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to Derbyshire Dales to see for herself the impact Storm Babet and flooding has on areas such as Derbyshire Dales.
Sarah Dines MP said, ‘It was vitally important to me that the plight of frequently flooded areas in Derbyshire Dales is raised to the very highest level, which is why I invited the Minister for Flooding to come to our area to see the impact flooding can have to farms and also to more built up areas like Matlock. I was pleased to introduce the Minister to local farmers and a local business that was affected. This was the Minister’s second visit in recent years as she previously visited to see the dire need for flood repair works in Matlock in April 2022. Following her previous visit, the government agreed to support the Environment Agency in their work to begin the repair works in Matlock. I am so pleased these works were completed before Storm Babet and that the Minister was able to see the completed works, that would not have been possible without her support. I certainly dread to think how badly Matlock would have been affected without these works.
We saw such terrible flooding across the County and I took the opportunity to raise with the Minister the need for support for residents and the local authority which will be dealing with the impact and repairs across our area for many weeks to come. I am very pleased the Government have announced financial support for residents and businesses that have been impacted by Storm Babet and I will work with the County Council and District Council to ensure that residents who have been affected by the floods, benefit from this new fund.’
