Wyre Council's proposal to stop providing sandbags during floods slammed by councillors

The proposals were made at Wyre Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, during a report from the Flood Tasking Group.

A series of recommendations were made by the group, but it was the plans for the council to stop providing of sandbags that raised concerns.

It refused to say how much money it would save.

Fleetwood councillor Ruth Duffy (pictured) called the proposals an “abdication of responsibility”.

However, Coun David Henderson, leader of Wyre Council, said: “These are merely recommendations which need to go to cabinet members for discussion before any decisions can be implemented.”

The Flood recommendation stated: “That the council stops routinely providing sandbags with immediate effect, in recognition of the facts that their effectiveness is limited, they are labour-intensive to fill and distribute and that members of the public should be increasingly encouraged to take responsibility for making their own properties safe from floods.”

Coun Duffy, said: “These irresponsible recommendations, if rubberstamped by Wyres Cabinet, will cause much distress to many residents once the floods inevitably return.”

And Coun Rob Fail, Wyre Labour leader who opposed the plans but was out-voted, said: “That they should consider leaving home owners to sort out their own sandbags is disgraceful.”