Lives could have been lost in last week’s flood, a Garff MHK says.

A number of Tynwald members lined up to criticise government failings over a long period, in terms of mitigating against flood risks and not listening to local expertise.

Martyn Perkins (Garff), who had tabled an urgent Tynwald question about last week’s floods, said: ’In the episode last week, we very nearly lost lives.

’In 2013 we passed new legislation for this very purpose - what has happened since 2013?

’Too little has been done too late.’

Mr Perkins added: ’We lost the bridge and we very nearly lost a bus full of children back in 2015, when we had the last floods.

’We have missed two bullets that have been fired by global warming and it is essential that we address this and leave no stone unturned in taking it forward.’

Residents in Laxey were angry and frightened,

’People are very worried that, no matter all the platitudes we hear, all the reports we have, all the people looking into it, the locals are not being taken notice of with simple, basic things.’

His constituency colleague Daphne Caine (Garff) agreed.

’There has been a systemic failure over the years, since the previous flood in 2015, to action any of the reports that government departments commissioned then,’ she said.

’This government is getting a bit of a reputation, and previous administrations, for getting report after report and not taking action.’

Kerry Sharpe MLC, who lives in Laxey, said she spoke to a resident who had Manx Utilities a week earlier to raise concern about the build up of debris on the old weir.

’This meeting was the result of a long exchange of e-mails that had been going on for a very long time, and she was extremely angry and upset because her house had been flooded.’

Mrs Sharpe said she was told by a Manx Utilities representative that the initial hole could not have been responsible for flooding because a barrier had been placed there.

’One of the residents pointed out the barrier to me and it was a mesh barrier,’ she added.

Marlene Maska MLC called for a return to the old system of regional works gangs, with local knowledge, to be in charge of clearing rivers and ditches.

It was also pointed out that some home-owners had invested their own money to protect against flooding from the river, only for run-off from the road and hill above to flood their properties from the opposite direction.

Responding to criticism, Mr Quayle said in 2016 Tynwald approved a ’national strategy’ on flooding, sea defences on coastal erosion in 2016.

The government had committed to addressing the 24 highest risk areas. Laxey was at number 12 on that list.