Dear Editor
I was going to write to Prime Minister Johnson about the report we made on roads and flooding issues in our parish but as he doesn’t know us, that wouldn’t work.
We are known by Edward Timpson MP who looks after Eddisbury and has visited our parish a couple of times, to see the issues we have identified.
The report detailing our concerns was sent to him early in June this year. He has recognised our issues of course so replied:
“Thank you very much for sending a copy of your meticulous flooding report, I am very impressed by the approach you have taken.
“As you know, flooding and rural issues are very important to me so I have asked the Chief Executive Officer at Cheshire East Council and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consider the points you raise through this report.
“I am sure they will take into account your concerns as they develop their thinking further and I will contact you again once I receive full responses.”
We followed up on this too. DEFRA did respond twice saying that they would get back to us but there has been no constructive response.
George Eustice hasn’t replied at all but we did get a reply from Rebecca Pow MP who is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in DEFRA on 27th July. She replied:
“The EA has attended, and contributed to, two meetings with the Church Minshull Parish council when flooding has been on the agenda alongside Cheshire East. It is committed to continuing its work in partnership with the LLFA and will take action where it has the powers and duties to do so.
“The EA is happy to discuss this with you directly. If you feel a meeting would be beneficial, please contact the EA’s local team at [email protected] who will arrange a mutually convenient time for a meeting.”
We have followed up on this too – but still no suggestions have been made.
We have also asked our Local Councillor, Sarah Pochin to help.
She recently was promoted to be our local mayor and she has tried to help.
She has attended a few of our parish council meetings too.
We are very grateful for this but her attempt to get any progress made for us has failed too.
Although we tried to communicate with the CEO of Cheshire East, Lorraine O’Donnell, we have no response from her either.
To date, despite all these efforts, and the fact that our estimate of the cost resulting from these issues in our community has reached £1 million, we have not been able to gain any real traction with the authorities in terms of an action plan, apart from receiving those sympathetic written responses.
Do you know anyone who could help?
Yours,
Cllr Bob Schiller
Church Minshull Parish Council
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