Jon Cruddas MP had called a meeting to discuss findings following last years floods in Rainham.
The MP for Dagenham and Rainham had brought Havering Council, Thames Water, Environment Agency and Network Rail together to coordinate plans to help protect the area following the floods in Rainham in August 2020 which saw residents unable to vacate their homes for months.
As part of their position as lead local flood authority, Havering Council are required to produce a report with recommendations to help prevent another flood in the area.
Jon Cruddas called a follow up meeting, scheduled for Friday 29 October, which was to be attended by all relevant parties including senior council staff.
He claims that senior council figures were pulled out of the meeting by Council Leader, Damian White.
Cruddas said: “The Tory council leader is too busy playing political games to care about the lives of local residents in Rainham. The safety and protection of my constituents and their homes is paramount to me, which is why I pulled agencies around the table in the first place.
“We are approaching winter and potentially periods of heavy rainfall, so I am calling on the council to cooperate. It was concerning to hear that Network Rail have not been consulted by the Council on the forthcoming S19 flood report. Protecting local residents will need the valuable input from all agencies to effectively resolve the problem.
“They must produce the report with Thames Water, Environment Agency and Network Rail involvement and most importantly, set out a cross sector action plan to protect Rainham. That’s what I expect and will continue to press them to do their duty.”
Time 107.5FM have reached out to Havering Council for comment.
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Tags: Rainham, Havering Council, Jon Cruddas
