THE flooding minister visited flood defence schemes across Cornwall on Friday, February 9,
During the visit Minister Robbie Moore spoke with Environment Agency teams working to mitigate the effects of flooding and observed some of the flood resilience challenges that exist in catchments of this region.
The Par and St Blazey Flood Defence system is one of the most complex and highly maintained in Cornwall. It is maintained by a number of different organisations and individuals – the Environment Agency, Cornwall Council, South West Water and individual riverside property owners.
The scheme has involved the construction of a number of ‘hard’ engineering structures such as flood banks and walls, but also a number of ‘green infrastructure’ measures that also provide environmental and recreational improvements, such as rain gardens and attenuation basins.
Flooding Minister Robbie Moore said: “Recent winter storms have affected communities right across the country, including in Cornwall.
“Protecting people, homes and businesses continues to be our top priority.
“It’s been fantastic to see the defences here in Cornwall first-hand, like the Mousehole Community Resilience project, which uses innovative Natural Flood Management techniques to help protect people and the environment. But we know there is more to do to make the region more resilient, which is why last year the Government announced £25-million in funding for Natural Flood Management projects right across England.
“I also visited the Par and St Blazey flood defence scheme, currently in its final stage of delivery. This £36-million scheme is one of the biggest investments in the area for years, and will defend the community and support the local economy for many years to come.”