Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region has written to the Prime Minister to express his concerns and demand action by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), following last year’s flooding in South Yorkshire.
In November 2019 South Yorkshire was blighted by some of the most severe flooding the region has ever witnessed. These floods had a devastating effect on communities and businesses, and some residents have still been unable to return to their homes.
The initial response by emergency services and the Environment Agency was swift, however, follow up action by DEFRA has been painfully slow.
During a phone call between Mayor Jarvis and the Prime Minister, the PM expressed his support to the Mayors flooding summit, which would see agencies come together to put plans in place in order to prevent further incidents.
But three months on from the flooding, the Mayor has heard nothing from DEFRA about the summit and little has been done to reassure those affected.
As climate change is set to get worse and more flooding events are predicted, it is vital that DEFRA engages with local leaders and our communities to help stop these life changing events.
