John Healey has praised local authorities for their role in helping residents overwhelmed by the recent flooding.

The minister, who attended another top-level emergency COBRA meeting in Downing Street on Tuesday morning before visiting Gloucestershire, said he had seen ‘local authorities at their best'.

In an interview with The MJ, he said: ‘Authorities provided the kind of response communities needed, as well as public assurance and leadership. It has been an outstanding example of local government leading the recovery effort.'

LGA chair, Sir Simon Milton, has called on ‘the local government family' to help fellow local authorities through the flooding crisis.

The Westminster City Council leader said the London borough had sent a finance officer to Sheffield City Council to offer assistance.
‘The emergency services and the army have done an amazing job, but there's a limit to how long people can work under those conditions,' he said.

‘We will be looking to the local government family, to the councils who are not affected, to help those who are.'
Several councils, including Barking and Dagenham LBC, Forest of Dean DC, and Cumbria CC have been lending assistance.'On Sunday Tewkesbury BC asked for our assistance in providing a rest centre when it had to evacuate rest areas which lost fresh water supplies,' said Forest of Dean chief executive, Tim Perrin.

A team from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service helped flood victims in the South West, and a high-volume pump was sent to Gloucestershire.

‘I'm proud of the staff from Warwickshire CC and all our partners,' said Warwickshire council leader, Alan Farnell. ‘Everything moved seamlessly into action, which was wonderful to see in a time of disaster for our residents.'