Around 52,000 properties will benefit from new defences by March 2026 as the Government committed to fund up to 1000 projects around the countty.
The money will be spent on projects ranging from tidal barriers and flood walls to nature-based solutions that slow water flow.
Key projects getting funding
£43m for Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Flood Defence Scheme in Somerset
£35m for the “Our City Our River” flood-risk-management scheme in Derby
£3.5m for the Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill Flood Defence Scheme in Dorset
£2.5m to support flood-resilience schemes across Leicesterhire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
£2m for the Beales Corner project, which protects communities in Bewdley, Worcestershire
More than £100m has been earmarked to repair and maintain defences, some of which were damaged in last year’s floods.
Essential maintenance projects
£7m for Phase 3 of the Stallingborough Sea Defences along the Humber estuary
£3.8m to improve protection in Pevensey Bay, as part of work to repair local sea defences.
Recognising many flood defence projects have stalled, £140m from the investment programme will be prioritised for 31 projects that are ready for delivery, ensuring nearby communities are protected as soon as possible.
The full list of schemes to benefit will be announced in the coming months.
The announcement comes as the Government’s Floods Resilience Taskforce meets today, with Floods Minister Emma Hardy joined by ministers from across government alongside representatives from the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, and the National Farmers’ Union.
They will explore further steps that can be taken to protect the 6.3 million properties in England at risk from flooding, and discuss lessons to learn from Storms Bert, Conall and Éowyn this winter.
Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said: “The impact of flooding on our communities will only become greater as climate change brings more extreme weather, like Storms Bert, Conall and Éowyn.
“With this new funding, we will work closely with the Government to deliver the vital projects that are needed across the country, ensuring our investment goes to those communities who need it the most.”
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