Environment

- The floods have required an immense clean-up operation. District councils have been clearing up mud, silt and flood debris across the county, while the county council has been clearing highways, gutters and gullies. To help with the huge waste management task, free collection was provided immediately after the floods for water-damaged bulky and electrical household waste items and opening hours were extended for nearby Household Waste Recycling Centres. Free skips were provided in Cockermouth, Keswick and Working for general household and commercial flood-damaged waste - just over a fortnight after the waters hit, these skips had collected 291 tonnes of flood-damaged waste. An emergency Household Waste Recycling Centre opened at Sullart Street in Cockermouth on   November 28th for a 2 week period – as of 6th December this site had collected 85 tonnes of flood-damaged waste. In a single four-day period, South Lakeland District Council shifted in the region of 19 tonnes of flood-damaged belongings and also helped clear around 40 tonnes of debris from the roads. This process is still ongoing.  

- Some members of the farming community also suffered severe damage in the floods. The latest estimates are that 147 farms were affected by flooding – 26 of them severely so. Natural England, the Environment Agency, the NFU and Cumbria County Council have all been involved in leading on the recovery effort in rural areas by providing funding, support and advice to farmers affected by floods. £500,000 has been made available for affected farms through the Rural Development Programme for England (RPDE) which is administered by Cumbria County Council. This funding will support the removal of both gravel and other debris from farmland as well as other medium term recovery works such as stock fencing, access works, etc and more details are available at http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/business/regeneration/rpde/ffdrgs.asp

- The recovery and restoration work is taking place in one of the most beautiful areas of the UK, so the historical environment also has to be considered sympathetically. Immediately after the floods, English Heritage worked closely with Allerdale Borough Council on inspecting approximately 100 listed buildings in Cockermouth. They also provided advice to people affected by flood damaged listed buildings in terms of necessary consents, appropriate restoration works and gaining access to specialist support and guidance. The National Trust also began inspections of archaeological assets at a very early stage and liaised with landowners and the Lake District National Park Authority.

- Along with carrying out inspections and repairs to all its flood defences in Cumbria, the Environment Agency has begun site investigations to determine which third party assets, including boundary walls, need to be repaired. Work has also begun in Ulverston to reduce the likelihood of any future flooding from Dragley Beck to the properties around Steel Street and North Lonsdale Road. Community engagement officers have attended a series of meetings with local flood action groups to offer on-going practical help and support.