The government has launched a call for evidence which will form the basis for future policies to protect people, businesses and the environment from the devastating effects of flooding and coastal erosion.

The public, scientists, local authorities and industry are being invited to give their views on urgent questions and inform future policies

Over the coming decades, flood and coastal erosion risks are set to increase as a result of population growth and climate change. In order to deal with these, the government is already providing £2.6 billion over six years, delivering more than 1,000 projects to better protect 300,000 homes. This is on top of £1 billion by 2020 to maintain flood defences.

However, despite the investment, the government says it is important to strengthen the flood and coastal erosion policy framework to ensure that it can continue to manage the risks effectively. By the end of this year the government will set out its policy direction to better prepare the country for future flooding and coastal erosion.

Responses to the call for evidence will be used to inform the upcoming government policy statement on flooding and coastal erosion, a national infrastructure strategy and the decisions made in a spending review.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

“With one in six people in England already living in properties at risk of flooding, and after a record investment in flood defences from 2015-21 better protecting 300,000 homes, it is important to explore how we can continue to manage these risks effectively and prepare the country for the future.”

“While the government leads the way in ensuring our people and places are protected, we will be issuing a new national policy statement later this year which will be informed by a number of sources, including this call for evidence on which we are seeking views on key issues.”

The Environment Agency will also update its national strategy for flood and coastal erosion, based on the new government policy statement and the responses to their own recent consultation.

The call for evidence, which was first announced on the same date as the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) draft strategy in May 2019, will look at a series of key flood and coast policy issues that the government is currently considering. Areas where the Government says additional evidence is needed include:

• What do we mean when we talk about “resilience” – what could a shared, clear and consistent understanding about what resilience means look like so progress can be measured?
• Adapting to coastal change - what have coast protection authorities done to join up decisions about managing the coastline with wider plans for the area?
• Have businesses used the provision to claim corporation tax relief on their contributions to government funded flood and coast projects?
• Local funding initiatives for flood risk management – are there examples of what worked well and what could be improved?
• How are developer contributions being used to fund work to manage flood risks?
• Managing financial risks from flooding – how do organisations manage the financial risks associated with flooding, in the context of climate change?

Commenting earlier this week on the Climate Change Committee’s new progress reports on reducing UK emissions and preparing for climate change, Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said global overheating is changing the weather and increasing the risk of flooding.

“But we know that up to at least 2050, temperatures are expected to increase regardless of how strongly emissions are reducing globally. That is why our draft Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy is seeking to better prepare us for a 2°C warming in global temperatures as well as planning for higher scenarios such as a 4°C rise in global temperatures.”

Launching the CCC reports, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, said:

“The UK is not ready for the impacts of climate change, even at the minimum expected level of global warming. The Government is not yet addressing adequately all of the climate risks it has itself identified as critical – including from surface water flooding and the impacts of high temperatures on health."

Deadline to submit responses to the Environment Agency's Call for Evidence is 19 August 2019 – the consultation is open to any interested parties in England only.

Click here to access the consultation online