Councillor secures sandbags for Helston (From This is The West Country)

Councillor secures sandbags for Helston

11:31am Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in Cornwall

Helston has been given 200 free sandbags in case of future flooding.

Councillor Sue Swift said that following the most recent severe flooding at St Johns, three days before Christmas, she had got in touch with the Cornwall Community Flood Group, for which she runs a management group.

“I’ve got 200 bags and it’s not cost us anything,” she said.

However, she warned: “We’ve got to be careful as to where they are going out. You can’t just say, ‘I live at St Johns, I need it’.”

Her announcement came after Councillor Keith Reynolds put forward a motion that the town council bought 300 sandbags to distribute to council tax payers living in Helston’s flood risk areas.

He said: “I thought it was a travesty that nine o’clock on a Saturday night people were buying sandbags from DIY stores. Unfortunately the flooding doesn’t necessarily occur during peak shopping hours.”

His idea came after watching a resident interviewed on the news, who said he was disappointed the local authority no longer provided sandbags. “I have to say I agreed with him,” said Mr Reynolds.

He said he had found sandbags – minus the sand – costing 32p each. This would cost the council £96 and would be “a worthwhile investment” in his eyes.

However, as a result of Mrs Swift’s news the majority of members disagreed and voted against his proposal.

Read more about Helston's recent flooding below:

Helston floods: as it happened

Former Helston mayor calls for investigation into flooding

Helston flood firefighters who saved Christmas are 'heroes'