The Government has announced that communities suffering repeated flooding will benefit from a new ring-fenced £100 million allowance designed to better protect their properties.

The communities will be selected through the Environment Agency’s annual refresh of the £5.2 billion capital programme.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said the £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance will improve access to public funding for these communities, which are often smaller areas requiring more complex flood schemes, meaning that community-wide defences are not always viable.

The funding will be targeted at eligible communities where 10 or more properties have flooded twice or more in the last 10 years, helping to both accelerate existing projects and deliver new ones. It is anticipated around 80 schemes will receive support over the next four years.

The allowance forms part of the Government’s current programme of investment in flood and coastal defences. The Government announced in 2020 that the amount invested in flood and coastal erosion schemes would be doubled in England to £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027, providing around 2,000 flood defences.

£700 million is being invested from that pot this year and will better protect 35,000 properties, bringing the cumulative total for the first two years of the six-year programme to more than 65,000.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

“Our new Frequently Flooded Allowance will boost schemes in areas which are hit repeatedly and reduce the risk of flooding in the future.

“This new allowance will provide extra support for these areas and forms part of our major £5.2 billion effort to build around 2,000 flood schemes by 2027 and level-up defences across the country.”

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said the allowance would help better protect homes and businesses at risk from repeated incidents.

Repeatedly flooded communities to receive dedicated funding

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The Government has announced that communities suffering repeated flooding will benefit from a new ring-fenced £100 million allowance designed to better protect their properties.

The communities will be selected through what is described as the Environment Agency’s annual refresh of the £5.2 billion capital programme.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said the £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance will improve access to public funding for these communities, which are often smaller areas requiring more complex flood schemes, meaning that community-wide defences are not always viable.

The funding will be targeted at eligible communities where 10 or more properties have flooded twice or more in the last 10 years, helping to both accelerate existing projects and deliver new ones. It is anticipated around 80 schemes will receive support over the next four years.

The allowance forms part of the Government’s current programme of investment in flood and coastal defences. The Government announced in 2020 that the amount invested in flood and coastal erosion schemes would be doubled in England to £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027, providing around 2,000 flood defences.

£700 million is being invested from that pot this year and will better protect 35,000 properties, bringing the cumulative total for the first two years of the six-year programme to more than 65,000.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

“Our new Frequently Flooded Allowance will boost schemes in areas which are hit repeatedly and reduce the risk of flooding in the future.

“This new allowance will provide extra support for these areas and forms part of our major £5.2 billion effort to build around 2,000 flood schemes by 2027 and level-up defences across the country.”

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said the allowance would help better protect homes and businesses at risk from repeated incidents.