Smell of flooding would wake ministers up to do even more on prevention, peers are told

Peers questioned the Government on how prepared it was for flooding as alerts remained in place across Yorkshire and elsewhere in anticipation of Storm Christoph.

And environment minister Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, for the Government, defended the £5.2bn of investment put forward to help develop defences over the next six years.

Labour’s Lord Rooker said: “I ask Ministers to visit flood areas, as the one thing they do not get from television and the media is the smell. It is that smell that would wake them up to do even more.”

While the Green Party’s Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb asked whether the Government had a “national plan”.

“It could not be more appropriate today, when Storm Christoph is hammering at our country,” she said.

But Lord Goldsmith said: “This is a priority issue for the Government. We are now on track to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding through the £2.6bn.

“We have committed to doubling that investment to what I believe is a record £5.2bn, which will protect a further 336,000 properties from flooding and coastal erosion over the next six years.”

He said: “We believe that will reduce national flood risk by about 11 per cent and help avoid about £32bn in future economic damage, providing benefits and supporting job creation.

“We are putting our money where our mouth is in tackling this issue.”

It comes as weather warnings were upgraded as Storm Christoph threatens to bring challenging conditions to some parts of the country, and the Prime Minister chaired the second meeting of the Cobra emergency committee in two days on the issue.

Boris Johnson said in the Commons: “Our sympathies also go out to those affected by the latest floods.

“I want to thank the Environment Agency and our emergency services for the work they’re doing to support those communities, and I’ll be chairing a Cobra meeting later on to co-ordinate the national response.”

It comes after Flooding Minister Rebecca Pow convened the emergency committee on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Environment Agency was “on the ground now working with local partners and stand ready to respond to any flooding”

He said: “They have already ensured there are 40km (25 miles) of temporary barriers, which they are ready to deliver anywhere in the country and that is alongside high-powered pumps and trained staff who are ready to assist and provide information to local communities.”

And Downing Street said Covid-secure evacuation centres would be made available to those forced to leave their homes as a result of flooding.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We are live to that issue, should evacuations be needed.

“Preparations to create Covid-secure rest centres have been made. They have been made by relevant agencies as a precautionary measure.

“We will ensure Covid-secure rest centres if they are needed.

“The important message for the public now is to continue to monitor the information that the Environment Agency are providing and sign-up for flood alerts if they haven’t already.”

Pressed on whether local authorities, already under pressure due to the coronavirus pandemic, would be given further financial support to deal with flooding, he added: “As you will remember from previous flooding events, we have a number of flood recovery schemes that can be made available to those who are affected by flooding.”

Meanwhile, a groundsman from a cricket pitch in West Yorkshire has said he does not think he could handle it if flooding caused by Storm Christoph proves to be as bad as that witnessed last year.

Keith Hudson has been a groundsman at Bridgeholme CC, Todmorden, next to the River Calder, for 35 years.

Last February during storms Ciara and Dennis the river’s banks “flattened” the ground’s concrete flood defences and almost entirely submerged the cricket pitch in water and debris.

“I really don’t think I could do it again … think it knocked years off me,” the 58-year-old said.

“(I’m) not overly worried at the mo as the river often gets high during heavy rain. Lived next to ground all my life, so I’m used to seeing it rise.”

With more rain forecast, Mr Hudson tweeted a picture of the River Calder creeping high next to the ground’s new defences with the caption: “Nowt to worry about…… Yet!”

Rail services have also been disrupted on the Northern network after tracks flooded.

There are suspensions on services from Carlisle to Skipton or Maryport, all destinations from Rotherham Central, and between Manchester and Newton le Willows.

Trains are also subject to disruption between Leeds and Manchester, Salford Crescent to Preston and a number of other routes.

A spokesman for Northern said: “The difficult conditions are being experienced across a large part of our network and customers planning to travel today should be aware that any journeys could be affected and they should allow extra time for travel.”