Defra announces flood funding shake-up

The Government has announced that it will review the floods funding formula in the new year.

The current formula dates from 2011 and, water minister Emma Hardy told Parliament, “slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process, and also neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as nature-based approaches and sustainable drainage”.

A consultation will run on new arrangements, including to ensure “floods funding policy drives close partnership working and brings in wider financial contributions to flood schemes, to make government funding go further”.

Hardy also announced internal drainage boards will receive £50m over two years to improve, repair or replace their flood barriers and embankments, and to maintain watercourses.

In response Professor Jim Hall, Commissioner at the National infrastructure Commission, said: “We welcome government’s commitment to adopt a new approach to allocating floods funding, one that offers greater transparency to communities at risk, improves value for money and enables the use of more nature-based flood management solutions, in line with existing Commission recommendations. This change is an important step forward in the creation of a long term strategy for flood risk management.”