Flood defence funding pledge for deprived communities in new Government approach

Deprived communities are set to see guaranteed funding for flood defences as part of reforms to better protect the country from the risk of flooding.

The Government said it was updating the rules on allocating flood defence funding for the first time since 2011, with changes to overhaul a complex process that put councils with limited resources at a disadvantage, support more innovative anti-flooding measures and speed up building.

Ministers said £10.5 billion was being spent up to 2036 on new flood defences and repairing existing infrastructure, to protect nearly 900,000 homes.

At least 20% of the future investment will be set aside to help protect the most deprived communities in England over the next 10 years, the Environment Department (Defra) said.

And new rules from April next year will ensure that all prioritised projects valued at £3 million or less will be eligible for full Government funding, while those prioritised schemes valued above that will be fully funded for the first £3 million, and the Government will contribute 90% of costs for the rest.

New projects will be prioritised on value for money, with contributions from sources such as businesses, wildlife groups or farm clusters boosting the chances of schemes being approved.

Refurbishing existing flood defences will be treated on an equal footing with new projects, as ageing defences face growing pressures and need vital repairs, the Government said.

Officials also said investment in cost-effective and nature-boosting “natural flood defences”, such as restoring flood plains and holding water higher up the catchment through “leaky dams” and planting trees, would form a key part of the new approach to managing flood risk.

Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “For too long, deprived towns and cities struggled to secure the vital money needed for flood defences due to a complicated and outdated process.

“Our reforms will rip this up and help communities get back on their feet after floods – by unlocking economic growth, building new homes, and creating new jobs.

“This Government will be investing a record £10.5 billion into new flood defences and repairing existing assets to protect more people from the devastation of flooding.”

Caroline Douglass, executive director of flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, said:  “Our changing climate means it has never been more important to ensure communities are better protected from the devastating impacts of flooding.”

She said the new approach would support a wider range of projects, such as natural flood management and property flood resilience.