A MEMBER of Ludlow Green Party has said that the time has come to recognise that what he describes as the ‘business as usual’ approach of government needs to end.

“One enforced and acute realisation - all too destructive for those affected - is that Shropshire’s and Herefordshire’s flooding and tree damage very effectively suspends business as normal,” said John Crouch from Lydbury North.

“So when do we wake up and realise that the increasing intensity and frequency of these climatic events means that government’s responses to them can no longer be ‘business as normal’ and accept that exceptional measures of prevention must be taken?”

He said that the need for sandbags and boats showed that the horse had bolted and more needs to be done.

“We pay for insurance contracts against our personal mishaps; all governments need now to do is the same with ‘whatever it takes’ to return global temperatures to no more than 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels,” he added.

“Exceptional conditions require exceptional responses.”

Environmental campaigners point to the science that warm air can carry a greater amount of water and so the heavier rainfall that they say is a consequence of global warming.”

Ludlow suffered some flooding in the autumn of 2019 on land near the river but this was nothing compared to what happened in February.