News First meeting for flooding group
Representatives from organisations concerned about the Environment Agency's (EA) draft River Aire Catchment Flood Management Plan have joined forces to form the Lower Aire Flood Action Group as a result of an emergency meeting organised by Snaith Town Council.
Last month, members of Snaith Town Council urged representatives from local organisations to form a working group to learn more about how a flood plan from the EA could affect their area. The working group's first meeting was held on Monday evening.
Frank Townshend, Snaith and Cowick Town Mayor, has been appointed chairman of the group; Andrew Percy, Airmyn parish councillor and prospective Conservative MP for Goole, is to be the vice-chairman; and Graham Bate from the Goole and Airmyn Internal Drainage Board is to act as secretary.
The group has immediately appointed a sub-committee of members to seek a meeting as soon as possible with the EA to discuss the recently-published draft flood plan. The local parish councils involved are Airmyn, Beal, Carlton, Chapel Haddlesey, Eggborough, Goole, Gowdall, Kellington, Long Drax, Newland, Rawcliffe and Snaith and Cowick.
On Monday, members agreed that both the EA and DEFRA seemed to work to protect housing and industrial areas, but they believed that rural areas were at the bottom of the list.
Chairman of the action group Frank Townshend said: "The Environment Agency's document would seem to indicate that natural habitats are of greater importance than those of the human population in the Lower Aire Catchment Area.
"There is a conflict of interest in an organisation which is responsible both for flood control measures and the creation and maintenance of wetlands and other natural habitats."
Published on 9th August 2007 in News.
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