The Government has pledged £62 million worth of flood defence investment in a new round of spending announcements.
The Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers, announced that the investment will be used to help more than 9,000 homes and will bolster flood defences for communities in Yorkshire, Cumbria, the North East and the South East of England.
The additional funding will be added to the £2.6 billion dedicated to help 300,000 homes across the country from flood risk between 2015 and 2021.
Since 2015, the Environment Agency has already completed construction of over 500 coastal erosion schemes, protecting more than 195,000 homes and businesses in the process.
The new funding will support 11 projects in the Northern Powerhouse in addition to projects in Essex and Lincolnshire.
Theresa Villiers, Environment Secretary, said:
“I am delighted to announce over £60m of additional funding to better protect communities which are vulnerable to flooding, particularly across parts of northern England.
“Events this summer have shown that investing in flood risk management is more important than ever, and this funding builds on our long-standing £2.6 billion commitment to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding and coastal erosion over six years.”
Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse, the Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said:
“This new funding for flood defences in the North of England adds to the £5.4 billion already invested into the Northern Powerhouse to drive jobs and economic growth, and a record £13 billion to upgrade transport infrastructure across the North.
“We’re investing in public infrastructure so that local communities have the support and backing they need to flourish and seize all of the opportunities that come with leaving the European Union on the 31st October.”
Simon Clarke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:
“Flooding can have a devastating impact on communities.
“The Government’s injection of an additional £62.35m will help protect communities, and ensure they remain vibrant places for people to live, work, and visit.”
Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency and UK Commissioner on the Global Commission on Adaptation, said:
“This extra funding will help us to go even further in our mission to better protect communities up and down the country from the terrible effects of flooding. We will work closely with these communities to design and build projects which not only reduce flood risk but which also benefit wildlife and the local economy for decades to come.
“This vital investment comes on the same day that the Global Commission on Adaptation has released a report which issues a rallying cry to the international community to invest more in climate resilience including better protection for flood risk.”
