THE Environment Agency is leaving vulnerable communities at risk from flooding while concentrating on "grandiose" new schemes, West Somerset's MP Ian Liddell-Grainger claimed this week.

He said it was "nonsensical" for the agency to be spending nearly £20 million on creating a wetland designed to protect homes at Steart, near Hinkley Point, against flooding from the sea when it apparently had no money to ensure routine flood prevention work was carried out elsewhere.

During a Commons debate he secured on the future of the Environment Agency on Wednesday night, Mr Liddell-Grainger cited the recent flooding in Williton, Carhampton and Dulverton.

The Government is collecting evidence and submissions as part of a study into the role and responsibilities of both the agency and Natural England. A report containing detailed recommendations over their future will be published in late spring.

But, said Mr Liddell-Grainger, many people felt the Environment Agency had already "lost the plot".

He said recent catastrophic flooding on the Somerset Levels, where some farmland has remained under water for nearly a year, had seen a flat-footed response from the agency.

"For 20 years there has been virtually no dredging of the main rivers, despite the local drainage boards repeatedly requesting it," he said.

"Now all the communities down there are reaping the consequences. The Environment Agency first told me dredging wouldn't make any difference to river flows, then announced they didn't have the money to do it anyway.

"That is nonsense when they are prepared to put up two-thirds of the cost of a lavish flood protection scheme at Steart, which might look fine on a computer screen, but about whose practicality some pointed questions are already being asked.

"Around the Exmoor fringes flooding is becoming more prevalent at certain locations – and it is just not good enough for Lord Smith, the Environment Agency chairman, to blame it on 'the wrong sort of rain'.

"It looks very much as though rainfall patterns are changing, on which basis the Environment Agency should be throwing all its energies into protecting homes, businesses and livelihoods from the increased threat.

"Shrugging its shoulders and pleading poverty is not an attitude that goes down very well with local people – especially when they see tens of millions of pounds being thrown at grandiose, unproven new projects."