New proposals to accelerate the construction of flood schemes and protect thousands of homes and businesses in the nation’s cities and rural areas from the risks of flooding have been unveiled today (Tuesday 3 June) by Floods Minister Emma Hardy.
A simpler, transparent approach will replace the current complex and labour-intensive process of applying for funding, which disproportionately affects councils with less resources.
The proposals will make it easier for authorities, including councils, to bid for central government funding. This will benefit poorer councils who have less resource to commit to the application process.
They will also ensure money is distributed more effectively across the country – including for rural and coastal communities.
And faster applications will help speed up delivery of vital schemes – crucial to boosting the country’s preparedness for extreme weather events.
Established more than a decade ago under the previous government, the existing outdated formula for distributing money to proposed flood defences is complicated, slows down applications and neglects more innovative approaches such as natural flood management.
Speaking at the Flood & Coast Conference in Telford, Minister Hardy outlined fresh proposals to replace this system and introduce a simple, flexible and strategic approach to investment in flood resilience projects.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:
Councils have struggled for years with securing money for flood defences due to a complex and archaic application process. Dealing with the impacts of flooding gets in the way of growth for businesses and can be devastating for hard-working families.
That is why, as part of our Plan for Change, this Government is reforming how flood funds are distributed to protect businesses, rural and coastal communities as we invest over £2.65 billion in flood defences across the country.
Minister Hardy set out how the government will fully fund the first £3 million of proposed flood and coastal erosion projects, giving a crucial boost to schemes. For remaining costs above this, schemes would only need to secure 10% of the remaining costs from other sources, such as private investment, as the government would cover the rest. This approach would mean more schemes will see their funding gaps filled and stop local communities needing to secure more funding themselves.
The consultation – which opens today – will also seek views on how projects are prioritised each year for delivery, such as on their value for money or whether certain outcomes should be bolstered, such as for flood resilience in deprived communities or the level of private funding raised.
Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, these proposals will help boost economic growth, by empowering businesses to inject money into local areas and thereby creating more jobs.
Environment Agency Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Caroline Douglass said:
Better protecting communities in England from the devastating impacts of flooding is one of our top priorities as climate change brings more extreme weather.
We support the government’s bold strategic vision to transform the approach to investment in resilience to flood and coastal erosion, helping to streamline the delivery of flood schemes and improve existing assets to protect communities better.
The consultation also outlines plans to mainstream investment in natural flood management, which uses nature to reduce the risk of flooding, while also providing wider benefits such as improved water quality, vital habitats for wildlife and increased access to nature. This will help boost protection for rural communities, with dozens of projects under the Government’s Natural Flood Management programme already achieving this.
It also considers how communities can make better use of property flood resilience measures, such as flood doors or smart air bricks. These items help prevent water from entering a property or reduce the amount of floodwater that enters during significant flooding.
