I would like to pay tribute to all the agencies involved in the re-opening of the A591, less than six months after the devastation caused by the floods in December.

I know Cumbria County Council, Highways England, United Utilities and other organisations have worked hard and in partnership to ensure the road was open as soon as possible. Greg Clark MP and Patrick Mcloughlin MP, on behalf of the Government, helped Cumbria get the funding and repair works needed to get back on its feet.

I was at the re-opening of the A591 on May 11 and it was very satisfying to see all the hard work come to fruition.

It has not been an easy time for businesses or residents affected by this closure but it is evident that the road has been completed to a very high standard, with many new improvements meaning the road should be able to withstand future major weather events.

Politicians across Cumbria came together to back this project with one notable exception. The MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale continued to carp at the side lines and make cheap political points while the rest of us got on with the job of supporting flood recovery. Had the county council taken Mr Farron’s advice and rushed through a half-baked scheme, the road would have soon been susceptible to future flood damage and closure, bringing even more economic and personal pain to our area.

The council has now received more than £119m of funding from Government for the cost of the repairs to roads and bridges across Cumbria, and I am sure they will put this money to good use for the remaining repairs across the county.

I know that the people of Cumbria have worked tirelessly to ensure that flood recovery has happened quickly across Cumbria. It is now time to ensure that all the remaining bridge and road repairs are completed as quickly as possible, because while much work has been done there are still a number of our rural Communities badly affected by the aftermath of the December storms.

Cllr James Airey

Conservative Group Leader

County Councillor for Ulverston West