Councils have called for funding for flood defences to be devolved to local areas, after the Government announced its new long-term plan to tackle flooding in England.
The plan includes £5.2bn investment to create 2,000 new flood and coastal defences, and £200m for projects such as sustainable drainage systems.
An extra £170m will also be spent on accelerating shovel-ready flood defence schemes.
Cllr David Renard, environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: ‘Funding for flood defences needs to be devolved to local areas to ensure money is directed towards projects that best reflect local needs, which includes protecting key roads and bridges to keep local residents and businesses moving.
’It is good that flood defence construction schemes will be fast-tracked, and while the Bellwin scheme for emergency flood relief funding is vital for councils, it often doesn’t cover the clean-up costs. Councils need to be able to access funding for these purposes, more easily and more quickly.’
Photo: seeshooteatrepeat / Shutterstock.com
