Shadow minister Mary Creagh MP visits Stonehouse to discuss flooding issues (From Stroud News and Journal)

Shadow minister Mary Creagh MP visits Stonehouse to discuss flooding issues

4:00pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Chris Warne, SNJ reporter for Stonehouse and Chalford. Twitter @ChrisWarneSNJ

A SENIOR Labour Party politician visited the Five Valleys last week to listen to the concerns of residents who have been affected by flooding or are struggling to get insurance.

Shadow minister for rural affairs, Mary Creagh MP, visited St Joseph's Church Hall in Stonehouse on Monday, March 4, to hear about the impact of flooding on local communities.

With around 30 people in attendance, she discussed who should be responsible for drainage, preventing surface water run off and underwriting flood insurance.

The visit, which was part of the Labour Party's Your Britain initiative, gave people the opportunity to put forward their ideas on how flooding should be dealt with by central and local Government.

Former Stroud MP David Drew, said: "Flooding may not affect every person in the Stroud District but those that are hit by flooding do pay a huge social and economic price as well as the knock on effect to the wider community.

"It is important that we look at all aspects of how we can better protect families and communities, who are already taking a huge hit from the Government's austerity program, from further financial hardship as a result of flooding."

Shadow DEFRA minister Mary Creagh MP, said: "This is an important issue to people in some areas of the Stroud valleys and it was great to hear their views and concerns about how we deal with flooding."