Council to consider shock multi-million pound floods bill

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 4th Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats want the Government to foot the floods bill

Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council are set to demand that the Government foot the bill for last years floods damage at a Council meeting this week. Local Lib Dems will move a motion which speaks out against the £6 million bill that Sheffield's local Council Tax payers have been left with as a result of the floods last summer.

Recently it was revealed that the total cost to the local authority from the floods is estimated to be £22 million. However, the Council also revealed that the Government have refused to cover all of the costs.

Local taxpayers will be left with a shock bill for £6.1 million. The Liberal Democrat Group on the Council are calling on the Government to provide the entire amount. They believe that it is unacceptable to expect local taxpayers to foot the bill.

If successful, the Lib Dem motion will mean that Council officials write to the Prime Minister to demand that the Government provides the full amount.

Lib Dems have highlighted that part of the reason why Sheffield suffered extensive damage was due to Government failures. They believe that inadequate flood warning systems and poor flood defences were, at the very least, partly to blame.

Liberal Democrats are now demanding to know why controlling local Labour politicians have failed to secure all the funding. They have highlighted that the £6.1million being spent on flood repairs could have been used to avoid any increase in council tax this year.

Cllr Andrew Sangar, Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, said: -

"Despite all the assurances and warm words from the Government when ministers came up here to get their photo opportunity, they have failed to support Sheffield at a time when we need it most. This unacceptable bill for over £6 million for Sheffield will come as a real shock for local taxpayers."

"If the Government had supported Sheffield, then the Council could have used the extra money to avoid any increase in Council Tax bills this year. It's unfair that local taxpayers should have to foot the bill through no fault of their own, therefore we want the Council to write to the Prime Minister to demand that Government pay up."

"Unlike Labour, we believe that the Government should cover the entire cost of the flood damage and that's what we will be arguing in the Council chamber. Given that the inadequate flood warning systems and poor flood defences were partly to blame, it's the very least Sheffield deserves."