We’d all like an endless pot of cash to help protect the county against flooding, but we have to be realistic.

At a time when budgets are being squeezed, the hope of a £123m flood relief channel is what everyone is waiting for.

But it will take years to finish and it is right that until it is, the authorities should look at doing everything they possibly can to help our residents and businesses.

With winter just around the corner, many of those who have previously been left counting the cost, and disruption, of the damage caused by floods, will be putting what measures they can in place.

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Like Dennis O’Donoghue, who at the impressive age of 86 has built his own fort-like wall around his garden, residents have come up with innovative ways of protecting their homes – but they can only do so much.

Without the much-needed dredging of our rivers and streams, the seemingly small measures taken by the likes of Mr O’Donoghue will not go very far to keep the floodwater out of the city’s homes.

As a county, flooding is a problem for everyone, from the person having to build their own flood-protection wall, right the way to the top.

We must all take responsibility for it and do everything we can, but ultimately the Government controls the purse strings and it must continue to recognise the scale of the problem.

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