Residents in a north Cumbrian town fear that a 6ft fence was a flood risk to their homes.
Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith & Solway, met with people living in Burnside in Wigton.
The residents said their homes were flooded last week after heavy rainfall for the first time and were concerned that a 6ft fence erected by the nearby CCL Secure on Black Beck opposite their houses in 2022 would increase the risk.
They said they have repeatedly warned that the fence had the potential to trap debris and block water flow.
Mr Campbell-Savours has tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons about the issue.
His Early Day Motion says: “That this house notes with alarm that homes in Burnside, Wigton, flooded last week after heavy rainfall for the first time in living memory; further notes that in August 2022 CCL Secure, part of CCL Industries, which manufactures polymer banknote material for the Bank of England, erected a six-foot fence along Black Beck opposite these homes; recognises that residents have repeatedly warned the fence could trap debris and block water flow, increasing flood risk; regrets the failure to act despite these legitimate concerns; acknowledges CCL Secure’s stated willingness to work with the lead local flood authority but warns that this process could take months; and therefore calls on CCL Secure to take down the fence without delay to prevent further flooding and give residents peace of mind.”
Early Day Motions are used to put on record the views of individual MPs or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns. They are motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons with no specified date. Very few are actually debated, but they flag up issues that are of concern to MPs.
