Rural Infrastructure and Economy
Utility Companies
I am working to improve coordination between utility providers and local authorities, so that essential infrastructure upgrades do not cause unnecessary disruption for residents.
I recently convened a utilities coordination meeting in Stratford-upon-Avon with representatives from Warwickshire County Council, Stratford District Council, and major providers including Cadent Gas, Severn Trent Water, and Openreach. The meeting focused on challenges such as repeated road closures, poor communication with residents, and the growing number of street works linked to fibre broadband expansion and wider utility upgrades. Providers shared updates on key programmes, including Cadent’s gas mains replacement work, Openreach’s fibre rollout, and Severn Trent Water’s new communications system.
We agreed a number of follow-up actions, including exploring national policy solutions to reduce duplicate road excavations, improving communication with residents, and continuing joint discussions to ensure progress. This work is focused on better planning, reducing disruption, and delivering infrastructure improvements more effectively for rural communities.
Water Quality and Flooding
As part of my campaign to improve water quality and address flooding in rural areas, I have been working with residents and local agencies to tackle the ongoing issues in Cherington and nearby communities.
Across 2024 and 2025, I chaired a series of stakeholder meetings bringing together residents, local councillors, the Environment Agency, Warwickshire County Council and Severn Trent Water. These discussions have focused on the persistent problems of flooding and sewage, including raw sewage incidents and their impact on public health and infrastructure. Updates were provided on Severn Trent’s infiltration repairs and the installation of a new storm tank to boost capacity, alongside wider work to manage flood risk across the catchment.
Following these meetings, we secured commitments to improve transparency on sewage spill data, strengthen reporting on infrastructure works, and enhance coordination between agencies. I will continue to press these issues in Parliament, including on sustainable drainage and planning reform, while holding those responsible to account and ensuring progress is closely monitored.