£40 million for better flood protection

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has announced that 13 flood schemes across the country will benefit from £40 million of funding for improved flood defence schemes.

First announced in the Budget, the funding will help leverage an additional £24 million from other sources, enabling the flood schemes to go ahead. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs claims that more than 7,000 properties will be better protected against flooding because of the investment, including over 5,000 homes.

Five flood schemes in the north of England will receive almost half of the total funding (£17.4 million), with Rochdale in Greater Manchester receiving a total of £5 million to develop one of the largest inland flood schemes in the region.

Coffey said: “This extra funding for flood defences will unlock schemes that will better protect thousands of homes and businesses against flooding, supporting regeneration in important towns and villages in the north and coastal communities. It will boost our resilience as a nation and help our communities to grow and prosper.

“The north of England is a hotbed of culture, innovation and growth and this multi-million investment in flood schemes will help protect more than 2,700 homes and businesses from flooding. The defences will also enhance the environment and bolster economic growth as part of our commitment to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding by 2021.”