Skip to content

Cumbrians fearing floods - 'We're on our own now'

Reuters A flooded street in Carlisle, Cumbria, following Storm Desmond in 2015. There is a white car, mostly submerged, with its boot open, in the foreground, with terraced houses behind. The upstairs windows have yellow crosses marked on them.Reuters
Cumbria has suffered heavy flooding several times in recent years, including during Storm Desmond in 2015

The founder of a flood action group has accused her council of removing support, saying residents are now "basically on our own".

Lis Dales, from Castle Street Community Flood Action Group in Kendal, Cumbria, said the change could put lives at risk and was "bordering on the negligent".

Other community groups in the county have raised concerns, saying that more could be done to protect people.

Westmorland and Furness Council said it worked closely with partners to respond to flooding.

Ms Dales helped set up the group after her home was flooded in 2015 during Storm Desmond.

Members had spent a lot of time working with the authorities on a plan which saw South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) provide early notice of flood warnings and deliver sandbags to residents, she said.

But she said Westmorland and Furness Council, which replaced SLDC in 2023, had told her that would no longer happen.

"It's bordering on the negligent that our council is potentially putting people's lives and livelihoods at risk," she said.

Lis Dales is standing in front of a foot bridge over the River Kent in Kendal. She is wearing glasses and a white and grey blouse with pictures of pink roses on it.
Lis Dales helped set up Castle Street Community Flood Action Group in Kendal after her home was flooded in 2015

The council said it "works closely with its emergency response partners to plan, prepare and respond" to flooding.

A spokesperson said "a limited stock of sandbags" could be collected from local depots but the authority was moving towards "more community based support" that would be more effective.

Carlisle Flood Action Group vice-chair Luis Eckersley said he had "pinned a lot of hope" on communication with the authorities improving after a previously dormant group called the Cumbria Strategic Flood Partnership reconvened.

But residents still did not know where they would need to go if evacuated from their homes during a flood, he said.

Cumberland Council said different reception centres could be used depending on circumstances and "to advertise this beforehand would cause a presumption on which centre may be used".

A spokesperson said: "A safer approach is for communities to listen to the announcement through media messaging."

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

Related stories
Related internet links