LIKE many, I attended the public drop-in session at Kendal Town Hall to hear the latest plans for the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme.

The event was well attended and staff from the Environment Agency, Capita and others were there to try yo answer questions.

However, there was little new from the information we heard in January.

The handout was very high level and didn’t include the detailed maps and schemas available in the room. No comprehensive project plans were available and the timescales to get approval look optimistic. Overall it was disconcerting.

In particular:

- there are still no ‘spade ready projects’ sufficiently well defined to proceed quickly. A sequence of Government financial and planning approvals are still required. The time allowed for these may be very optimistic for a start date less than six months away. No detailed project plan was available with well-defined milestones for either of the phases described.

- The modelling on which the proposals are based is not available for public scrutiny nor are their indications they have been independently reviewed. Central to the current plans is that the bridges in Kendal, particularly Victoria Bridge, are not flood pinch points and require no modifications. Walls, embankments and flood plains will suffice. This is disputed by many locals.

- The first phase of the plans require an application for European Union funding. This is extraordinary! Why is a UK taxpayer-funded agency applying for such funding when we expect to leave in March!

Overall, a lot more details would help reassure those who were flooded three years ago. I couldn’t find them. Tempus Fugit, the next Tempest is coming!

Bob Swindle

Kendal