On Wednesday (16^th October) the Labour MP for Hitchin, Alistair Strathern, spotlighted the recent devastating flooding in a Parliamentary debate.

Historic levels of rainfall have sullied Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire in recent weeks.  

In the debate, Strathern condemned the failures to prevent the flooding, calling it catastrophic for affected residents.

Strathern demanded a review of local and national planning rules to prioritise flood defences and called for stricter enforcement of mitigation measures in all new developments, to ensure "they actually work as is claimed they should".

Alistair Strathern MP said: "Flooding devastates families…developers must be held accountable for failures that leave our communities vulnerable – flood protection must always be a priority – not an afterthought. It's why I called for a thorough review of flood risk in local planning and for strict, enforceable standards to ensure new developments meet the highest flood protection requirements".

This week as the flood warning for the River Purwell has now been lifted, residents of Woolgrove Road and Green Lane in Hitchin were advised that North Herts Council will be attending the area to remove sandbags that residents don't want any longer.

Heavy rain saw flooding in Hitchin from September. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had pumped millions of litres of water in Hitchin and crews had "worked tirelessly" to address the situation.

However, Holly Riley of Woolgrove Road, told the BBC in early October that residents had "just been left" to deal with the flooding.

Residents concerned with the new Highover Development in Hitchin have flagged how the recent flooding highlights the need to scrutinise the drainage scheme at the next stage of the planning process.