Navendu Mishra

It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington South (Sarah Hall) on securing this important debate. In January, there was flooding at Meadow Mill in my constituency, with almost 200 residents impacted. I thank the Meadow Mill residents association for all the work it has done in representing residents but also raising real concerns. I have corresponded with a number of residents, and I met the association just a few weeks ago in my office. One of the main issues they face is that the building’s owner is unable to secure insurance against the flood risk. That is quite concerning for leaseholders, who are liable to pay out of their own pockets for any future flood damage to Meadow Mill, which may run to hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not more. Although none of the residential units was impacted by the flooding on new year’s day, the water filtration system, boiler and electricity substation were affected, which meant there was no water supply, heating or electric in the flats, so all residents had to evacuate. That should have been avoided, because the mill was only recently converted into flats. It is a serious issue. Generally speaking, Stockport does not really suffer from flooding; it is usually the constituency of my neighbour, the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mr Morrison), that has the most significant issues. However, with climate change and a number of other factors, it is something we are increasingly facing. I do not want to repeat points that others have made, but the issue of funding for the Environment Agency is quite serious. I have met the agency, and I appreciate all the work it does, but it has no earmarked funding for work in my constituency, which is a concern. We also have an issue in Reddish, where a bridge collapsed in January. It will cost more than £1 million to repair, and Stockport council tells me that it cannot facilitate the work without central Government support. Across the borough, which includes three constituencies, the cost of damage is around £4.3 million—a serious sum. We need much better drainage systems and much more investment in the Environment Agency, but we also need more protection for residents, whether they are tenants or owner-occupiers, from the risks that come with insurance and the additional costs. On behalf of Meadow Mill residents, I want to raise that issue with the Government. I thank the firefighters, North West ambulance service and Greater Manchester police, but also Stockport council staff who went above and beyond in supporting residents. I take this opportunity to refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, in particular with regard to the Fire Brigades Union, but I am very grateful to them for doing all they can. I will finish by inviting the Minister to come to Stockport to try some of our award-winning beer, but also to meet residents of Meadow Mill.