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Somerset river dredging will start as soon as floods subside, says PM Somerset river dredging will start as soon as floods subside, says PM
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron has admitted that the ongoing flooding on the Somerset Levels is unacceptable, as he overruled the Environment Agency to order dredging of nearby rivers as soon as possible. David Cameron has admitted that the ongoing flooding on the Somerset Levels is unacceptable, and has overruled the Environment Agency to order dredging of nearby rivers as soon as possible.
The prime minister said dredging would start as soon as the waters had come down in Somerset, after the Lib Dem MP David Heath protested that an area the size of Bristol had been flooded for a month.The prime minister said dredging would start as soon as the waters had come down in Somerset, after the Lib Dem MP David Heath protested that an area the size of Bristol had been flooded for a month.
Tackled on the issue during prime minister's question time, Cameron said he was urgently exploring what else could be done.Tackled on the issue during prime minister's question time, Cameron said he was urgently exploring what else could be done.
"We now need to move more rapidly to the issues like dredging which I think will help to make a long-term difference,' he said. "It is not currently safe to dredge in the Levels. But I can confirm that dredging will start as soon as it is practical, as soon as the waters have started to come down. "We now need to move more rapidly to the issues like dredging which I think will help to make a long-term difference," he said. "It is not currently safe to dredge in the Levels. But I can confirm that dredging will start as soon as it is practical, as soon as the waters have started to come down.
"The Environment Agency is pumping as much water as is possible given the capacity of the rivers around the Levels but I have ordered that further high-volume pumps from the DCLG's national reserve will be made available to increase the volume of the pumping operation as soon as there is capacity in the rivers to support that. "The Environment Agency is pumping as much water as is possible given the capacity of the rivers around the Levels but I have ordered that further high-volume pumps from the DCLG's [Department for Communities and Local Government's] national reserve will be made available to increase the volume of the pumping operation as soon as there is capacity in the rivers to support that.
"We are urgently exploring what further help the government can give local residents to move around and I rule nothing out in the days ahead to get this problem sorted.""We are urgently exploring what further help the government can give local residents to move around and I rule nothing out in the days ahead to get this problem sorted."
It is not yet clear where the £4m necessary to restart the dredging is coming from, as the government has not offered any extra funds to Somerset. A Defra spokeswoman said the funding had not yet been worked out. It is not yet clear where the £4m necessary to restart the dredging is coming from, as the government has not offered any extra funds to Somerset. A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the funding had not yet been worked out.
"Dredging will be carried out in the Somerset Levels as soon as it is safe and practical to do so," she said. "We are in discussions with the Environment Agency to start planning the details. We are also working with the local community to produce an action plan looking at all the different options for managing flood risk there over the next 20 years.""Dredging will be carried out in the Somerset Levels as soon as it is safe and practical to do so," she said. "We are in discussions with the Environment Agency to start planning the details. We are also working with the local community to produce an action plan looking at all the different options for managing flood risk there over the next 20 years."
Some residents in the area are furious that the Environment Agency stopped dredging the rivers years ago and have accused the body of failing keeping up proper river maintenance. It is thought that around 40% of the capacity of the rivers Tone and Parrett could be clogged up with silt. Some residents in the area are furious that the Environment Agency stopped dredging the rivers years ago and have accused the body of failing keeping up proper river maintenance. It is thought that about 40% of the capacity of the rivers Tone and Parrett could be clogged up with silt.
The agency's chairman, Lord Smith, has said dredging makes only a small difference and is not a "comprehensive answer". His view was contradicted by Jean Venables, chief executive of the Association of Drainage Authorities, who said the current levels of flooding could have been averted.The agency's chairman, Lord Smith, has said dredging makes only a small difference and is not a "comprehensive answer". His view was contradicted by Jean Venables, chief executive of the Association of Drainage Authorities, who said the current levels of flooding could have been averted.
"It's a disaster area down there and it could have been avoided if we had kept up with maintenance on the rivers," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday. "We have got a 20-year backlog of inactivity down there and it's actually very, very urgent that those rivers are dredged.""It's a disaster area down there and it could have been avoided if we had kept up with maintenance on the rivers," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday. "We have got a 20-year backlog of inactivity down there and it's actually very, very urgent that those rivers are dredged."
On Monday the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, announced a six-week review of the floods and indicated that he expected dredging would be part of the plan.On Monday the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, announced a six-week review of the floods and indicated that he expected dredging would be part of the plan.
John Osman, the leader of Somerset county council, said he was delighted that Cameron had brought forward his announcement that dredging would resume. "This is just what we wanted to hear from the prime minister," he said.John Osman, the leader of Somerset county council, said he was delighted that Cameron had brought forward his announcement that dredging would resume. "This is just what we wanted to hear from the prime minister," he said.
"We have lobbied hard to get national attention, we are in a major incident due to the extent and length of time that much of the county is flooded. Now we have the PM behind us, people can start to believe that real action, dredging the rivers, sorting the drainage systems, protecting our communities will really happen.""We have lobbied hard to get national attention, we are in a major incident due to the extent and length of time that much of the county is flooded. Now we have the PM behind us, people can start to believe that real action, dredging the rivers, sorting the drainage systems, protecting our communities will really happen."