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Lyth Valley drainage plan charges spark row

8:50pm Wednesday 30th November 2011 in Allerdale news Photograph of the Author By Emma Lidiard, Reporter

ANGRY residents have spoken out against a scheme which they claim taxes the poor for the benefit of the rich.

South Lakeland Water Level Management wants to keep drainage pumps running in the Lyth Valley to prevent flooding after they are shut down by the Environment Agency in 2013.

But residents claim the plan – which would cost each householder an average of £8 and each business £500 in a new levy – is only beneficial to farmers in the valley.

A consultation to debate the new drainage board, which would cover low-lying land from Arnside to the Duddon Valley, Hale Moss, Heversham and Flookburgh, began in November.

Coun Jim Bland, chairman of the group, which has around 12 members, said: "It's a community project which will help everyone.

"I have been told by someone from an environment group that if we don't do something, there will be chaos."

To find out more, visit https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/

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Comments(10)

Utter says...
9:15am Thu 1 Dec 11

Now this has made the gazette will a tory councillor answer me...do you support your colleagues plan to tax me??

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Gong farmer says...
10:02am Thu 1 Dec 11

Most farmers in the valley and across a wide spread of south Cumbria wont benefit. Residents and businesses certainly wont. Jim Bland and his cronies at SCWLMG are a devious bunch of misinformation experts that constantly rely on smoke and mirrors to pull the wool over the eyes of the general public at large to further their own cause. There will be no chaos caused, houses, businesses and infrastructure will not be effected. EA commissioned an independent study that showed there would little effect. The Lyth valley isn’t going to feed the world as the group try and claim, the impacts of any change will be negligible in terms of UK food security. Lets face it, Jim doesn’t like change and he wants us to pay to maintain the status quo. They have had a cushy ride for the last few years, lets redirect this funding to provide support to areas that really need it like Kendal, Keswick and Cockermouth. As jobs, wages and public services are cut, should we really be paying to drain some fairly marginal grade 3 land? Vote with your feet and have your say on the EA consultation or face rising future bills for no benefit.

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TwoHat says...
2:31pm Thu 1 Dec 11

Why don't the affected landowners put wind-powered pumps in? The running costs would be negligible, with zero environmental damage. Its their land, they are the ones profitting from keeping it drained, why should anyone else subsidise them?

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TomHarvey says...
11:22am Sat 3 Dec 11

Utter wrote:
Now this has made the gazette will a tory councillor answer me...do you support your colleagues plan to tax me??
Well 'utter', nothing if not persistent.
It would help if you put a reasoned argument together and as I have said I would be happy to meet you to discuss it. This is not a 'Tory proposal' its a response to the Environment Agency who want to stop funding the running of the pumps. Jim Bland is the Councillor who represents the area so instead of doing nothing is exploring options with others (of all political parties and community involvement). Tim Farron has sent a letter to all parishes offering his support, quote:
"It’s clear that as a result there needs to be a solution that enables the farmers on the low-lying land to keep farming, and I am very keen to work with the farmers to try and achieve that".
There is also a consultation ongoing available here where you can air your views an give constructive comments http://goo.gl/0zJwN
Finally, there is a public meeting at Crossthwaite village hall on the 7th December at 7.30pm. Its non-political and will be an ideal forum for you to come forwards with your views and hear what is actually being considered, and by whom. I look forwards to seeing you there as its clearly an issue you feel passionately about and want to get involved in

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Burgundy says...
5:32pm Mon 5 Dec 11

"...the group, which has around 12 members..."

How can such a group have an uncertain number of members? They're either members or they're not. If the group doesn't know then shame on them. If the Gazette doesn't know and hasn't bothered to check then it's sloppy journalism.

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Gong farmer says...
10:25am Tue 6 Dec 11

I think its "around" 12 as it was 12 originally but they are now dropping like flies because "around" several thousand aggrieved local residents and farmers who aren’t going to see any benefit for increased tax are starting to see this group for what they are.

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Gong farmer says...
10:25am Tue 6 Dec 11

I think its "around" 12 as it was 12 originally but they are now dropping like flies because "around" several thousand aggrieved local residents and farmers who aren’t going to see any benefit for increased tax are starting to see this group for what they are.

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TomHarvey says...
11:23am Tue 6 Dec 11

Gong farmer wrote:
I think its "around" 12 as it was 12 originally but they are now dropping like flies because "around" several thousand aggrieved local residents and farmers who aren’t going to see any benefit for increased tax are starting to see this group for what they are.
Lets hope the several thousand are making their views known to the environment agency as the consultation finishes shortly

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Gong farmer says...
12:01pm Tue 6 Dec 11

It really needs the Westmoorland Gazette to get off the fence and run a decent, balanced article this week looking at the bigger picture and not taking what the SCWLMG say as fact and not including any of Jim Bland's ridiculous quotes. Residents and business across south Cumbria NEED to be aware of this. If it slips through, the costs could spiral. Come on Gazette, get you finger out and do your readership a favour!

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Icingsugar27 says...
10:02pm Thu 8 Dec 11

As far as I am concerned they can just let it go back to wet land, nothing is grown along the Lyth Valley, many a times the fields are empty with no stock on them, as a Resident of the Crosthwaite area why should i pay for the pumps to continue to work!! I have the river Gilpin running through my garden, No one gives me money to stop the damage and the flooding from it!!!.

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