The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has published a report finding that the Government is failing to protect communities at risk of flooding.

The Committee is warning in its report report Flooding: Cooperation across Government that a reactive approach to funding for flood defence exposes the Government's lack of long-term strategic planning to manage flood risk. The Committee found that funding fluctuates year-on-year. During the last Parliament funding was initially cut and only increased after the winter 2013/2014 floods.

Mary Creagh MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said:

"We know that flooding is projected to get worse and occur more frequently because of climate change, so it just isn’t good enough for Government to react to flooding events as they occur. Communities at risk deserve certainty from Government."

Condition of critical flood defences in decline

The Committee also found that the condition of critical flood defences was in decline. The independent Worsfold review demonstrated a relationship between flood maintenance spending and the good condition of critical flood defences. As the money required to maintain these defences was cut, the number of defences which met the Environment Agency's required condition also declined.

Mary Creagh said:

"The Government needs to put money into the upkeep of existing flood defences as well as investing in new defences. Failure to do so can have terrible consequences for residents and businesses when defences fail.”

 "Any decline in the condition of critical flood defences represents an unacceptable risk to local communities in flood prone areas. We urge the Government to go beyond its current target and aim to have virtually all its critical assets meeting the Environment Agency's required condition by 2019."

The Committee learnt that, while most government flood spending would be allocated according to strict economic criteria, a significant proportion of the new funding announced in this year’s Budget - £700 million - would be allocated based on a “political calculation”. This could lead to inefficiencies in flood investment, poor decision making and, potentially, regionally unfair outcomes.

Planning - local flood plans and strategies under the NPPF is “worryingly low”

While there is national policy in place to plan for flood prevention, the number of local flood plans and strategies under the NPPF is worryingly low and the Government does not seem to be supporting local authorities to develop them, the report says.

The Committee is concerned that the Government does not know how prepared local authorities are for mitigating future flood events or whether their flood plans (if they have them) are fit for purpose. The extent to which the Environment Agency’s advice on whether, or how, to build in high flood-risk areas, is not systematically monitored, reported or followed up through the planning system.

Mary Creagh said that Local Authorities are not receiving the support they need to prepare for, and mitigate, the impacts of flooding.

Infrastructure companies should be mandated to report their target flood resilience level

The Committee found that infrastructure companies are adopting varying degrees of flood preparedness. There is a lack of Government vigour to ensure a consistent and robust approach is taken to protecting essential services. For public confidence, the Committee is calling for infrastructure companies should be mandated to report their target flood resilience level, why this target is appropriate and what progress they are making to achieve it.

The MPs were disappointed by the lack of transparency demonstrated by the Government’s failure to publish the results of past reviews and to track in an open way how it has implemented them.  The Committee recommends that the Government produce an annual national flood resilience review accompanied by an action plan. It suggested that the Government’s current National Flood Resilience Review would be a good place to start.

Mary Creagh MP said:

"It is critical the Government undertakes its current review in an open and transparent way to allow stakeholders, including Parliament, to monitor its progress and hold it to account."

LGA agrees councils need to be better supported by Government

Responding to the report, Cllr Peter Box, LGA Environment spokesman, said:

“Councils are at the sharp end of responding to and managing flooding and are going the extra mile to prepare and protect their communities. Local authorities are also doing everything they can to alleviate the risk to residents, which includes working hard to establish and maintain evidence-based local flood risk strategies.

“However, we agree with the committee that councils need to be better supported by government. New measures that could make a positive difference include devolving new flood defence funding to local areas, further incentives for private sector investment in flood defences and mandatory flood-proof requirements for new homes and offices.”

AECOM - "ultimately funding may need to be increased"

Commenting on the report, Jon Robinson, Director – Water, AECOM said mitigating the impact of climate change necessitated new ways of thinking, underpinned by a sustained stream of funding

 “The government’s six-year capital investment programme for flood defences, delivered by the Environment Agency and its partners, should help address the stop-start approach to funding. It allows schemes to be packaged, which enables more efficient delivery by both the client and suppliers. There is a clear delivery route with money directed with due consideration of benefits.”

 “But it is important the programme is not back-end loaded with the bulk of construction occurring in years five and six. Design, maintenance and construction must be a continuous process in order to achieve the required outcomes.”

 “Changes in our climate are only likely to increase pressure on flood defences over the coming decades. Ultimately, funding may therefore need to be increased in order to meet the escalating demand.”

Waterbriefing is media partner with the Institution of Civil Engineers keynote Flooding and Water Management Conference 2016 taking place in London on Thursday 30th June. Click here  for more information about the conference.

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Click here to download Flooding: Cooperation across Government