§ Mr. Kenneth Carlisleasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received his inspector's report on the public inquiry into the Lincoln flood alleviation scheme; and whether he will now agree to grant-aid the flood relief scheme as proposed by the Anglian water authority.
§ Mr. JoplingI have now received my inspector's report following the public inquiry into the proposed flood alleviation scheme for Lincoln. On the basis of the report, a copy of which I am placing in the Library of the House, 235W I have decided to approve the scheme put forward by the Anglian water authority for grant-aid under the Land Drainage Act 1976 and to confirm the compulsory purchase order sought by the authority.
This scheme, which will cost over £9 million, will provide a substantially higher level of protection against flooding in the city of Lincoln. The provision of controlled wash lands upstream, rather than increasing the carrying capacity of the channels through the city itself, represents a more cost-effective solution which also avoids works which would be environmentally damaging.