A Green Party politician highlighted the risk of flooding to Weymouth while visiting the town.
Molly Scott Cato, who is currently standing for re-election as an MEP, visited Weymouth as part of a tour of the region during which she spoke on ‘Ecotourism and the Regeneration of Weymouth’ at the Palm House.
She also met Green Party Dorset councillors Jon Orrell and Brian Heatley at the quayside, where they talked about the risk that flooding poses to Weymouth, after which she was taken for a tour of the town.
Ms Cato said: “As a recent Environment Agency report highlighted, towns like Weymouth will be at increasing risk from flooding unless urgent action is taken to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide.”
At the talk on ecotourism, she emphasised that any attempt to regenerate the town must be considered through the perspective of a climate emergency, not just jobs, growth and money.
She also pointed out that 80 per cent of UK environmental legislation is European.
“There is no guarantee of what will happen to these regulations if we exit Europe.”
After the talk, she took part in a panel discussion where questions were taken from the audience.
The discussion also included Green Party councillors Brian Heatley and Jon Orrell, Claudia Moore of Weymouth BID and Craig Oakes of Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce.
Issues raised included the co-ordination of groups and agencies involved in the regeneration and the need to develop cheaper and more efficient public transport as part of a drive towards ecotourism, with the aim of encouraging more people to visit Weymouth by train rather than by car.
Concerning improvement of public transport, Ms Cato said: “The taxes that people pay in Weymouth are predominantly being used to improve transport in London and the South East.
“This is unfair to Weymouth, Dorset and the South West and needs to change.”
Molly Scott Cato served as one of the three Green Party MEPs elected for the UK in the 2014 European Parliament elections.
The Green Party won two seats on Weymouth Town Council and four seats on the new Dorset Council at this year’s local elections.
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