Sarah Gibson MP is calling for clearer plans to tackle flooding and improve water security, urging the Government to explain how its latest resilience funding will translate into practical action for communities such as Calne.
Sarah Gibson MP meets residents in Mill Street following 2024 flooding
Residents need greater clarity over flood prevention funding and action to protect water supplies, according to Sarah Gibson MP.
The MP has called on the Government’s Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce to turn national plans into practical local action, highlighting flooding in Calne alongside water restrictions introduced this summer.
The call comes during Flood Action Week, which runs from 12th to 18th October. The Government announced that £4.2 billion will be invested in flood resilience across England between April 2026 and March 2029, with a target of better protecting 200,000 properties. The funding will support the maintenance of existing flood defences and the delivery of new schemes
Ms Gibson welcomed the investment but said communities needed to know which local schemes would receive funding, when work would begin and how residents would be involved.
In Calne, residents in Mill Street and Horsebrook experienced flooding twice during 2024. Flooding also left parts of Chippenham town centre impassable during Storm Bert.
Ms Gibson has also raised concerns about water supplies following the introduction of hosepipe bans by water companies this summer.
Wessex Water introduced its first hosepipe ban in 50 years on 18th August, affecting customers in Calne, Chippenham and Corsham.
The company said demand exceeded 400 million litres a day for 48 consecutive days, putting pressure on treated-water storage and its ability to move water through the network. It has committed an additional £4.75 million to reducing leakage and promised a published drought review, followed by an update in spring 2027.
Thames Water introduced a Temporary Use Ban on 23rd July affecting customers in areas including Royal Wootton Bassett and Lyneham.
Following questions from Ms Gibson, Thames Water reported that leakage across its wider Swindon operational area reached 35.6 million litres a day in July 2026. This represented approximately 30% of the water put into supply and was above the company’s target.
The company identified a £43.75 million programme involving six schemes but did not provide individual project costs or quantify the benefits of each scheme. Elements of the programme are scheduled to continue into 2028 and 2030.
Ms Gibson is asking the Environment Agency to assess whether the two hosepipe bans were introduced and retained in line with the companies’ approved drought plans.
She has also called on Ofwat to scrutinise Thames Water’s leakage figures and investment delivery, and for the Water Minister to require regulator-verified readiness plans ahead of summer 2027.
Sarah Gibson MP said: “Residents have done their bit through exceptionally hot and dry weather. However, restrictions cannot become a substitute for resilient networks, properly commissioned infrastructure and sustained action on leakage.
“Local delivery matters for flooding too. During Storm Bert, parts of Chippenham town centre became impassable, while residents in Mill Street and Horsebrook in Calne experienced flooding twice during 2024. Today’s statement is welcome but our communities still need to know what the Government’s investment will mean locally.
“I will keep flooding and water resilience firmly on the agenda, including support for farmers and community groups managing water across our catchments and a single national reporting service so people know where to turn when flooding happens.”
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