More than 1,000 flood defence schemes across England are being delivered or repaired under a £2.65bn two-year investment programme, the government has announced.
The funding, which spans 2023/24 and 2024/25, will support the construction of new flood risk management projects and the reinstatement of existing defences. Around £430m is being spent on new construction this year, with a further £220m allocated to reinstating assets to their original condition and design life.
The investment is aims to protect communities from the growing threat of flooding linked to climate change and is being delivered in partnership with the Environment Agency.
Over the two-year period, more than 1,000 schemes have been or will continue to be supported, the government said. These include flagship projects such as the £34.6m Derby Flood Risk Management Scheme in Derbyshire, which will protect 673 homes, and the £10.4m Preston and South Ribble scheme in Lancashire, designed to safeguard 1,537 homes.
Other major schemes receiving funding this year include projects in Hampshire, Dorset, Suffolk and Yorkshire.
In addition, £140m has been set aside to address cost pressures on 29 ongoing schemes, including works in Great Yarmouth and at Alverstoke on the south coast, to avoid delays and ensure delivery.
The investment covers both coastal and inland defences, as well as improvements to pumps and early warning systems. Projects due to proceed beyond 2026/27 will remain subject to the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee consenting process and future spending review outcomes.
Floods minister Emma Hardy said the government would deliver “a decade of national renewal and economic growth” through the programme, which she said was necessary after inheriting defences “in their worst condition on record”.
Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs press release