On Friday 13th July Graham Stuart MP attended a public meeting, arranged by Welwick Parish Council, to hear the views of residents and business owners who are concerned about plans by the Environment Agency to develop environmental compensation land along the Skeffling coastline.
Chaired by Larry Malkin from Welwick Parish Council the meeting was attended by 100 residents from Holderness along with East Riding of Yorkshire Councillors.
Graham heard from residents who were worried about the impact that the proposed development would have on the drainage systems across the area and from farmers who were deeply concerned about their livelihood if they were to lose valuable production land to the proposed scheme.
Graham Stuart said “Local people have little confidence in the Environment Agency and are understandably concerned at the proposals to redraw the line of the bank. They want to know why this location has been chosen, what will be done to improve protection from floods and how the Agency will minimise the amount of land which has to be lost.
“If it does go ahead I need to be sure that there are real benefits for existing residents, genuine reductions in the likelihood of flooding and that more than lip service is paid to the views of local people. It’s a community in which people work together to get things done and should be celebrated not ignored.”
The meeting agreed that residents would submit written responses to their Parish Council and that an action plan would be drawn up. Representatives of those Parishes will then meet under the leadership of Councillor Arthur Hodgson to formulate a challenge to the Environment Agency’s proposals.
