Emergency Resilience for Taunton Deane - Formosa calls for flood protection for local electricity and water works

SUGGESTIONS put forward by Mark Formosa, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Taunton Deane, could help reduce the impact of any future natural emergency such as the floods which recently devastated parts of Gloucestershire.

 Mark put forward a number of action points during a briefing he received on Somerset’s emerging plans for coping with any such flooding or other disaster which might befall the Deane.

 He said: “Utility companies should be forced to protect vital services to avoid the Gloucestershire debacle happening here. Electricity installations and water works should be located on high ground, or robust flood prevention works should take place as a top priority for areas under threat like Taunton Deane.

 “We should not forget that protection is needed for our sewage works as flooding causes the discharge of dangerous effluent which causes the spread of disease.”

The briefing was given by the Somerset local authorities’ civil contingencies manager, and Mark was also accompanied by Lydeard ward Somerset county Councillor Christopher Wolverson.

Afterwards, they visited Norton Fitzwarren Village Hall, where earlier this year Mark Formosa attended the annual parish meeting while proposals were aired for using the hall as an emergency centre for any casualties in the event of a natural disaster.

 Councillor Christopher Wolverson said: “This briefing needed to take place so that Taunton can have an MP who is fully connected to what will be happening on the ground should the worst come to the worst. Mark Formosa told the emergency planning department of the importance of protecting local electricity networks and water works from flooding, and these ideas will now be followed up by the county council as the local resilience framework is drawn up.”