The Government’s decision to top up funding for flood defences by £250m raises spending in this area to record levels but is still just ‘the tip of the iceberg’, MPs say.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) today announced it is committing a record two-year investment of £2.65bn to build or maintain up to 1,000 flood defences.
It is estimated the investment will benefit a total of 66,500 properties.
The Environmental Audit Committee chair, Toby Perkins MP, welcomed the funding but warned it falls short of what is required.
‘In December the Environment Agency warned that 6.3 million homes were at flood risk in England,’ he said.
‘Whilst it is great to hear that today’s funding is the largest on record, in protecting 66,500 homes, it is, quite obviously, the tip of the iceberg.’
For more on this topic, check out Councils must adapt to extreme weather threat and Preparing for future floods.
