Last week was tough for the people in Padiham and for those living near the bottom of Towneley as Storm Ciara hit causing bad flooding. First off, I want to say what a great community spirit we saw by all those who clubbed together to help out – sweeping away surface water and coordinating efforts to minimize the damage. They are a credit to the town and deserve recognition.
For my part I visited Padiham to see the impact for myself and throughout the day was in regular contact with local Councillors for the area, Burnley Borough Council and crucially the Environment Agency – all of whom worked together to provide support where it was needed.
After the much more severe floods of 2015 the Environment Agency drew up plans to improve flood defences throughout Padiham – with new flood walls, the clearing of gravel and a focus on diverting water further upstream. All things that we desperately need to avert damage on the same scale as we saw in 2015.
I want to see these plans implemented as soon as physically possible and I will be working with the Council, Environment Agency and Government to see how this can be sped up, including bringing the matter up in Parliament.
In the meantime, I was happy to see that free skips were put in place in Padiham to help with the clean-up and urge anyone who has been affected by these floods to get in touch and I will give whatever help I can.
I also want to take this opportunity to say a big congratulations to the Burnley Bondholders who this week celebrated their 10-year anniversary. The Bondholders play a vital role in showcasing the best of Burnley, ensuring the town punches above its weight economically. I look forward to working with all of them over the next 4 years to secure greater investment for our town, grow the local economy and provide opportunities for the future.
