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Funding for flood defences given new impetus
As economic hardship continues to rise in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Shaun Aldis chief executive of Wolverhampton Homes argues a rise in homelessness doesn’t have to follow as a consequence. Here, he examines how with the right tools, authorities can keep figures as low as they have been during the Covid-19 pandemic or even lower
In July, the government pledged an investment of £5.2 billion to create approximately 2,000 new flood and coastal defences to better protect 336,000 properties in England by 2027, alongside support to help households and businesses get back on their feet more quickly after flooding.
The plans, outlined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also include £200 million for innovative projects, such as sustainable drainage systems and nature-based solutions like temporary or permanent water storage areas which also boost wildlife. It is expected that these will support 25 areas at risk of flooding to test and demonstrate innovative actions to adapt to a changing climate and improve their resilience.
The government has also said that up to £170 million will be spent accelerating work on ‘shovel-ready’ flood defence schemes that will begin construction in 2020/21. As a result of this, ministers says that 22 areas across the country will benefit from this immediate boost to jobs supporting the local economy as communities recover from the impact of coronavirus.
Digging deeper into the details, the long-term plan sets out five key commitments which will accelerate progress to better protect and better prepare the country for the coming years. They are: upgrading and expanding flood defences and infrastructure across the country; managing the flow of water to both reduce flood risk and manage drought; harnessing the power of nature to not only reduce flood risk, but deliver benefits for the environment, nature, and communities; better preparing communities for when flooding and erosion does occur; and ensuring every area of England has a comprehensive local plan for dealing with flooding and coastal erosion.
The plan also sets out proposed changes to the joint government and insurance industry Flood Re scheme. This will allow claims to include an additional amount so that flood resilience measures are included in repairs, and allow households that have property flood resilience measures in place, such as airbrick covers or non-return valves, to benefit from lower premiums. These amendments will help to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme and will ultimately assist in the scheme’s transition out of the market by 2039. On this latter point, Andy Bord, chief executive of Flood Re, said: “I welcome the government’s commitment to making the nation more resilient to future flooding. Flood Re enables access to affordable insurance for hundreds of thousands of homes at high risk of flooding. We believe it is very important that the country is built back better and making homes more resilient through the uptake of property flood resilience adaptations is a key part of addressing the increasing threat of flooding resulting from climate change.”
Build back better
The build back better mantra has been rolled out regularly by the Conservative party following their General Election success towards the back end of last year, and has showed no sign of slowing down during the coronavirus pandemic and consequent lockdown. Coronavirus recovery packages have been outlined across industry, providing targeted support for specific industry, most recently on staff pay as the furlough scheme comes to its close.
The role of flood prevention in these plans has been hard to find. Andy Bord has strongly emphasised the critical need for any coronavirus recovery plan to ‘build back better’ and for continued and sustained investment in flood-risk management strategies.
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He said: “Flood Re has had a significant impact on the affordability and availability of home insurance with more than 300,000 households in the UK who are at risk of flooding directly benefitting from the Scheme. We are helping more families than ever before and are in a strong financial position ready to support those impacted by flooding.
“This year has been significant in many ways. We have seen the first major flooding events since our launch in 2016 as well as having to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic. In these unprecedented times, the country must build back better, developing a recovery plan that creates sustainable and resilient foundations for the future. For those at risk of flooding, it is critical that investment in flood mitigation strategies be maintained.”
South Yorkshire
Many households impacted by flooding have endured further hardships as a result of the pandemic due to delays to building works or increased costs. In Sheffield, the Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment and Rural Affairs has recently announced that the long-awaited South Yorkshire flooding summit will finally take place, almost a year on from the devastating floods that battered the region last November.
Although welcomed by local leaders and businesses, the fact of the matter is that residents, businesses and communities that were battered by the floods last November have been waiting for far too long for this to happen. Almost 1,000 homes and 560 businesses were affected and, according to the Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis, many are still facing repair work or unable to return home.
Jarvis has also urged ministers to use the recently announced £5.2 billion investment in close collaboration with devolved authorities like the Sheffield City Region, which had developed a detailed programme for prevention and resilience works based on local knowledge and consultation. In South Yorkshire specifically, the planned programme claims to have the potential to protect 2,826 businesses and 10,365 residential properties from flooding – representing a positive economic impact of more than £1.7 billion in direct damages avoided alone.
Building back better is underpinned by large investment in jobs and infrastructure. However, analysis this year by BBC News found that just over one per cent of government infrastructure spending in England will go towards flood defences. With calls for flood defence funding to be reallocated following last year’s flooding, particularly in northern England, figures show that nearly £5 billion is due to be spent on flood defences up until 2026, with a third of the money spent in London and the South East.
Speaking back in February, Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Northern England, said: “Cumbria has had three ‘one in 200-year’ storm events in the last 10 years. We know the climate is changing, and we also know that the climate is changing with the most impact here in the North West of England. So it is odd the government has chosen to spend so much money on London and the South East, and so little on the North. It’s also staggering that we’re spending so little money on flood defences altogether.”
FURTHER INFORMATION:
www.floodre.co.uk
