Suffolk flood concerns raised after Storm Babet devastation

Storm Babet brought torrential rain for much of Friday and the weekend, leaving communities stricken by waist-high flooding and major roads completely blocked. 

Now, Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader and parliamentary candidate for the new Waveney Valley constituency, is calling on the government to take action to improve the region's flood risk management.

Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader and candidate for the Waveney Valley Constituency (Image: Waveney Valley Green Party)

"This is not the first time East Anglia has been flooded but climate change experts are shouting from the rooftops that if we don’t tackle the issue now we will experience what should be ‘once in a generation’ events like this increasingly often," he said.

"This government is letting us down. Not only are they not taking the issue of climate change seriously – reigning in on existing commitments – but they are also failing appallingly when it comes to flood risk management.

"We urgently need a long-term plan to improve natural flood defences and reassess planning regulations which still allow for new buildings on flood plains.

"Suffolk and Norfolk communities deserve better – as do all those around the country who have been affected by Storm Babet."

Needham Market, which was badly hit during the flooding (Image: Charlotte Bond)

And Bethany Philbedge, Suffolk Preservation Society planning officer, added: "Our county's response to the growing frequency of extreme weather events such as the recent flooding incidents, must be long-term and joined up.

"The planning system certainly has an important role to play in reducing such risks, not least in being both more cautious as to the locations of new housing developments but also more adventurous in terms of building design to achieve net zero outcomes sooner, rather than later." 

Fourteen flood warnings and alerts continued into this week, with locals urged to be ready to take action and to expect further disruption.