Martin Ford 11 March 2020

Budget 2020: Flood-hit areas to share £200m defence fund

Flood-hit areas will vie for £200m in funding to improve flood defences, the chancellor has announced in his Budget.

A £200m ‘place-based resilience programme’ has been announced that will go to 25 areas around the country, chosen based on criteria including ‘repeated significant flooding in the past’.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that overall investment in flood defences in England will total £5.2bn over the next six years, doubling spending and reducing national flood risk by up to 11% by protecting 336,000 homes and non-residential properties.

The figure includes an ‘immediate’ injection of £120m to the Environment Agency to repair storm damage over the winter months.

Devolved administrations will also receive extra funding based on the Barnett formula.

Research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, Jack Hunter, said: ‘Today's announcement on doubling investment in flood defences over the next six years to £5.2bn is welcome but much more is needed.

‘The funding announced today is still less than the £1bn a year that the Environment Agency says it needs.’

There were no announcements around reform of the Bellwin scheme to fund recovery, criticised as ‘limited and bureaucratic’ by the Local Government Association last month.

Small grant schemes of up to £5,000 for individual homes and businesses following November’s flooding also caused controversy after the Government limited funding to local authorities where more than 25 properties had been flooded.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

PRINCIPAL TRANSPORT PLANNING OFFICER

Hull City Council
£43693 - £46731
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced professional to join our team in Hull as a Principal Transport Planning Officer. Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Recuriter: Hull City Council

HIGHWAYS AND TRAFFIC ENGINEER - 4 POSTS

Hull City Council
£43693 - £46731
We have several exciting opportunities for suitably qualified Highways Civil Engineers and Traffic Engineers Wilson Centre, 1st floor, Hull HU1 2AG
Recuriter: Hull City Council

Strategic Director, Finance and Resources (S.151 Officer)

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
£110,799 - £120,706
Blackburn with Darwen is a distinctive, welcoming and vibrant borough with a strong identity and a genuine buzz about the place. Blackburn, Lancashire
Recuriter: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Residential Worker, Edge of Care Service

Durham County Council
Grade 7 £29,093 - £32,654 PAY AWARD PENDING
Join a Groundbreaking Team Supporting Families in Seaham Salary
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Bikeability Cycling Instructor

Durham County Council
Grade 4 £24,790 to £25,992 pro rata (Pay Award Pending)
The Road Safety Team are keen to recruit additional Casual Bikability Instructors to join our team of instructors delivering Bikeability cycle trainin Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner