Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed has announced greater protection for homes, businesses and farmland from flooding, with a commitment of £2.65bn.
It follows confirmation from the Government that more than 12,700 farms have benefitted from the Farming Recovery Fund, with the funds exceeding £60m – £10m more than originally committed.
The £2.65bn will be used to create new flood defences and handle repairs of existing defences. An additional £50m has also been allocated to internal drainage boards, as part of a one-off £75m fund, enabling them to manage water levels effectively for agricultural and environmental needs.
Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said: “Flooding can wreak havoc on farmland and for rural communities, and I absolutely recognise the profound impact that extreme weather has had on farmers.
“Farmers are at the very heart of our rural communities, underpinning our food security – which is why it’s essential to protect farmers’ businesses and homes from the threat of flooding.
“That’s why as part of our plan for change we are dedicating £2.65 billion over the next two years to the maintenance, repair, and construction of flood defences. We will accelerate this work through our Floods Resilience Taskforce, which includes active representatives of the farming sector.”
Damage from extreme weather events and flooding is said to cost the economy billions each year, so the Government states that it is not only protecting homes, but also businesses and supporting a stable economy with the additional funding.
The Floods Resilience Taskforce will also meet today, with minister Emma Hardy joined by other MPs and representatives from the Met Office and the NFU to discuss further steps to protect an estimated 6.3m properties in England at risk from flooding.
