More flood defences needed in Tewkesbury, candidates say

Investment in flood defences and building on flood plains are key issues for Tewkesbury, candidates have said.

Labour's Ed Buxton said flood plain land had disappeared in many areas and Liberal Democrat Alistair Cameron, wants "stronger planning controls".

During the BBC Radio Gloucestershire debate, UKIP's Stuart Adair said waterways needed to be dredged.

Laurence Robertson, Conservative, said a "lot of schemes" had already been put in place.

The Green Party's Jemma Clarke, is also standing as a candidate in the constituency.

Liberal Democrat Alistair Cameron said although "some money" had been spent on flood defences, "additional investment" was needed.

"We have to have a very careful planning policy as well and we certainly should not be building houses on the flood plain," he said.

Conservative Laurence Robertson said it was "very important to take care where houses are built".

"It's not just whether the new houses themselves flood. I think it's very easy to build houses which don't flood any more with the technology which exists now."

Labour's Ed Buxton said the borough council had not been "robust enough" but said something had to be done to ensure "flood defences are actually built".

But Stuart Adair, UKIP, said the "simple solution" was to dredge waterways.

"It doesn't happen because the European Union says that silt is an industrial waste and can't be spread on fields as fertilizer anymore," he said.

The candidates for the constituency are:

Stuart Adair, UKIP

Ed Buxton, Labour

Alistair Cameron, Liberal Democrat

Jemma Clarke, Green

Laurence Robertson, Conservative