Andrew Percy, MP for Brigg, Goole and the Isle of Axholme, raised the matter directly with the new Secretary of State for DEFRA, George Eustice, in the House of Commons on Monday, February 24 about the importance of securing funding for Ark.
He said: “My constituency is largely on land recovered by Dutch engineers and is therefore probably the most flood-prone constituency in the country.
“I urge the Secretary of State, given the particular risk that we have in my area, to look very closely at the proposal for a national flood resilience centre in Scunthorpe.
“The council has done its part in providing the land. The University of Hull and the Humberside fire service are providing funding.
“We need the Government to step up and provide funding so that we have a proper national centre.”
The Humber region is one of the most at risk of flooding of anywhere in the UK, with major flood events in the recent past. The University of Hull’s research into the Hull floods of 2007 was incorporated into the Pitt Review, which has set UK flood policy over the past decade.
Lincolnshire Council would provide the site for Ark, close to Scunthorpe.
Council leader Rob Waltham said: "Local residents will remember the devastating flooding of December 2013 and this research facility will help to ensure that communities and business can be better prepared when flooding occurs.
"This would be a significant investment in Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire and I am confident that an international research centre such as this will bring a whole sector of supply industries that could also see hundreds of well-paid jobs too."
Steve Topham, Director of service support at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We know from experience just how essential it is to provide an effective emergency response in the event of flooding.
"The Ark will give fire and rescue services across the country, together with all the other responding agencies, a facility where we can prepare in a much more realistic way, as well as having access to a wealth of research and innovation power."
Visit the Ark website for more details on the project, including images and a virtual tour.