Cumbria still counting cost of floods

Posted On 17/05/2010

Illustrating the force of the floods which inundated large areas of Cumbria last November, the new leader of Cumbria County Council, Cllr Eddie Martin said, "One road bridge that had stood for 180 years was hit by a 40 ton tree travelling down the river Derwent at 60 miles an hour. It collapsed. 

With 253 footbridges also missing or damaged the financial cost in just restoring rights of way will be enormous, but necessary to the long term recovery of Cumbria given the importance of tourism to the sub-regional economy.

Cumbria is open for business

Cllr Martin explained that 2,500 properties were flooded, over 3,000 businesses in Allerdale were adversely affected with just ten tourism businesses accounting for more than £12m of damages and loss alone.  110 farms were severely affected by flood waters and the cost of damage to the Port of Workington was £6.5m.

But despite the scale of the problems Cllr Martin considers his county to have been fortunate: "The financial support provided to Cumbria in the aftermath of the floods has been quite substantial and we have been greatly appreciative of the way in which government departments engaged positively with us to get that financial help, including of course, activation of the Bellwin Scheme support.

"Since the Board last met the temporary road bridge across the River Derwent in Workington has been opened connecting two parts of the town which became isolated when the Workington Calva Bridge was closed and Northside Bridge collapsed.  This was completed 5 weeks ahead of programme and the impact has been significant, not only for Workington, but also for other parts of West Cumbria affected by the extensive traffic diversions that had to be put in place."

Read the board papers here

 

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