Shropshire Star

Shropshire MP visits flood-hit community to discuss what help people need

MP Helen Morgan returned to a flood-hit community in North Shropshire to meet residents and business owners and discuss what support and help they need.

Published
BORDER PIC MNA PIC DAVID HAMILTON PIC SHROPSHIRE STAR 11/08/22 Helen Morgan MP looking at the rivers levels, at Melverley..

The North Shropshire MP toured Melverley and the surrounding area before taking part in a public meeting, six months after the community was rocked by the latest bout of flooding.

The Shropshire-Wales border area, which also includes villages like Kinnerley and Maesbrook, is next to the confluence of the Severn and Vyrnwy rivers and is often cut off by flooding which has become more frequent and severe in recent years.

She said: “We all know flooding is a big problem in Shropshire but often more remote areas like Melverley, Kinnerley and Maesbrook get forgotten about in favour of larger towns and villages when it comes to solving problems and providing support.

“It’s always really useful to see community problems first-hand and speak directly with the people affected.

“The huge contrast between the weather now and when I visited in wellies at the start of the year is also a timely reminder of how our weather is getting more extreme due to the climate crisis and the need for us to take action to cope with our evolving environment.

“The border area here is also typical of North Shropshire in that it has no public transport connections whatsoever. With the cost of fuel still so high we need to make sure that people are not isolated by being forced to rely on a car they cannot afford to run.”