Flood protection target exceeded

The Environment Agency has confirmed it has exceeded its two-year property protection target by nearly 10,000.

Almost 62,000 thousand homes and businesses have been better protected from flooding over the last two years.

The government has invested £2.65 billion into flood defences since 2024, repairing and replacing existing defences and constructing new ones. 250 projects have now been completed with stronger protections for more than 60,000 properties across England. This is above the original goal of 52,000.

These defences will help to prevent an estimated £10 billion in economic damage.

Caroline Douglass, Executive Director of Floods and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency, said: "Flooding has a devastating impact on communities and will only worsen as our climate changes.   

"Exceeding our target by nearly 10,000 properties reflects the tireless work of our teams and partners across the country to protect the communities they live in.   

"With more than 600 projects being taken forward in the coming year, we will continue working to ensure vulnerable towns and cities get the protection they need."

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said: "Flooding is life-changing - destroying homes, shutting down businesses and leaving communities facing months of heartbreak.  

"This Government has invested a record £2.65 billion to repair flood defences and build new ones. After we inherited defences left in tatters, our investment is paying off, with almost 62,000 homes and businesses better protected from flooding and a further 840,000 properties on course to benefit by 2036."