A LABOUR councillor has called on North Somerset MP, Dr Liam Fox, to ensure that extra government funding is provided to tackle flooding problems in Clevedon.

Clevedon East's Labour councillor, Adele Gardner, said that she was concerned by the impact of the torrential rains that have soaked Clevedon over the last few weeks.

This has caused problems on the roads, as well as to homes and businesses, such as the historic Curzon cinema.

Being a seaside town, high winds and heavy rain can even cause a risk to individuals themselves. 

Speaking during Storm Ciarán, RNLI water safety manager, Ross Macleod, said: "This rough weather could make visiting our coasts around southern England and Wales treacherous and bring very dangerous sea conditions.

"Sadly, around 150 people accidentally lose their lives in UK and Irish waters each year and over half of these people didn’t plan on ever entering the water. Slips, trips and falls can be a major factor in these kinds of incidents."

As such, it is crucial that Clevedon's drains are properly maintained.

Cllr Gardner said: "I am aware that the drainage systems in Clevedon are likely to be old and in need of substantial maintenance and repair if they are to play an effective part in reducing flood risk for the people of the town.

‘We must ensure that ordinary people can go about their lives knowing that Clevedon has done all that it is possible to do to reduce the risk of flooding given that we are a coastal town in a time of climate emergency."

Cllr Gardner hopes that the government will reverse the decrease in funding.

She added: "I know our local authority, like many others, has a budget that is already stretched to the limit, but it is critically important that it is given the resources to ensure that homes stay dry and businesses can operate."

Dr Liam Fox said: "Getting funding to key projects such as the maintenance of drains Clevedon should be a priority for the council.

"What a pity for them the town that this coalition council overspent by £1.1 million on its catastrophic seafront project and will need to spend almost £400,000 more putting it right.

"They need to get their priorities right, not ask taxpayers to bail them out for their stupidity."