Storm Desmond: cuts delayed Kendal flood defence plan several times
by Damian Carrington and Nadia Khomami from on (#X25R)
Guardian learns 4m proposal to bolster barriers in Cumbria town was repeatedly postponed after funding cuts by Tory-led government
A major flood defence scheme for the Cumbrian town of Kendal, which was submerged in up to 5ft (1.5m) of water by Storm Desmond, was repeatedly postponed, the Guardian can reveal.
The 4m project to protect 440 properties from flooding from the river Kent, which runs through the heart of the town, was in line for funding in 2011. But the Conservative-led government sharply cut flood defence spending that year.
