Scottish Sunday Express - Breaking news, sport and showbiz from the World's Greatest Newspaper
Newspaper Cover Page
Our Paper

Front and Back Pages, E-Edition and Back Issues...
Weather
 3°C
London
Horoscope
Wednesday 3rd December 2008 Make us your HOME PAGE  What is RSS?
 
Columnists
Have Your Say - User Comments

ARTICLE SUMMARY

All of us will be hit by next killer storm

ENGLAND and Wales were put on severe weather warning this weekend as two new waves of heavy rain threatened more chaos and flooding.

User Image

IT'S ONLY THE START

28.06.07, 8:34pm

Unfortunately we are going to see more and more flooding every year. Now is the time that action must be taken to protect areas susceptible to flooding. The seas are rising, the seasons are changing and along with the warmer weather comes heavier rains. We can deny global warming is having an effect on the weather but the people in low lying areas will still suffer the consequences. The government should create a department with suitable powers to deal with this problem because we do need to spend some major amounts on flood defences. If Holland can manage the fact that large areas of their country is below sea level and still avoid major flooding perhaps we can learn something from them.

• Posted by: BEEGEE • Report Comment

User Image

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY TO BLAME?

28.06.07, 6:04pm

I know that the Environment Agency is getting a lot of ‘grief’ at the moment but it is a shame that they do not have the law behind them when it comes to whether or not their advice is taken.

I know that they are required to provide ‘help and assistance’ to planners and builder etc but whose fault is it when they are totally ignored? Advice like:- “You shouldn’t build there because it is on a flood plain!”, advice that is promptly rejected!

Building is BIG business and if the planners and builders think they have a chance of ‘getting away with it’ then they will – let’s face it, the pressure to build is increasing every day. Then when the rains come, and other ‘natural disasters’ occur, the problem then falls into the lap of the owners and insurance companies. God forbid that local council planners should be held responsible or accountable for bad planning decisions and ignored warnings!

One simple fact is that the Environment Agency has no real power so, in many cases, when flooding occurs they have probably been aware of the potential issues, again in many cases, for years. I am sure they would just love to say “We told you so!” but that of course would not be politically correct!

Maybe it is time for the government to actually give the Environment Agency some REAL power, if only to allow them to prevent building in known risk areas and/or to prevent building, and other ‘projects’, where it may have a ‘knock on’ effect that could compromise adjacent areas.

But of course, that would be too easy!

• Posted by: Cynical_sid • Report Comment

User Image

NOTHING NEW IT HAPPENS NOW AND AGAIN!

28.06.07, 11:06am

But we used to consider the consequensences before we built in the UK as to where the water run of would go!

Now we just decide which area will be flooded to save another, but do not panic all the asylum seekers have been rehoused leaving only the British homeless!

• Posted by: The_Way_I_See_It • Report Comment

Have your say on this article
HOROSCOPES
TV GUIDE

Todays best TV right here for you at the Express. • See Guide

TODAY'S CARTOON

The Political Cartoonist of the Year