The Government has defended its investment in Retford flood schemes despite Storm Babet causing hundreds of people in the town to evacuate. A 'danger to life' warning was issued in Retford at one stage over the weekend and some residents expressed anger to the Environment Secretary when she visited the town on Monday .
Around 48 properties were affected by flooding from the Retford Beck during Storm Babet, though 14 properties were also affected by flooding from the River Idle. Brendan Clarke-Smith, the current Conservative MP for Bassetlaw, said the £50,000 was likely to have been spent on 'scoping' the Retford Beck scheme before it was deemed unviable.
Although saying that the £11.7 million was still likely to be spent over the rest of the six-year funding period, on top of any future funding announcements that are made, Mr Clarke-Smith said that any schemes would still have to be officially approved. The MP added: "A business case needs to be made to show that a scheme would be effective and that is vital both in ensuring taxpayers receive value for money and that the flood defences actually work.