CJ Construction Blog

It can't be much fun on any wet building site right now. In the north and north east, many people are struggling to cope with flooding and the Environment Agency is taking a lot of the blame for failing to maintain and develop flood defences.

The government's decision to spend more on flood defences is very welcome, but rather a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Yes, maintaining flood defences is an expensive business, but so is coping with flooding - both during the episode and the months and months afterwards. And the same goes for maintaining drains on roads and streets - many of which haven't been cleared for years due to a shortage of money.

It seems strange that government can argue on one hand that it doesn't have to spend more on flood defences, but on the other, politicians of all hues are keen to tell us just how bad global warming is - and how much of a doomsday scenario it will be. So why can't they prioritise spending? Surely it can't be beyond the wit of man to realise that more rain means more flooding?

Spending money on flood defences - and clearing drains - could help avoid scenes like these...