The Government’s official  advisers on climate change say that increasing flood risk is the greatest threat to the UK from a warmer world – but neither central Government or Local Authorities are spending enough on flood defences.

Commenting on the current flood funding position, the Committee on Climate Change’s Adaptation Sub-Committee says that while more is being spent over the current four year period than the previous four years but there are some important caveats.

According to the ASC, the Government’s figures are in cash terms, rely on external contributions being secured, and assume unringfenced money provided to local authorities is being spent on flood alleviation. Even in cash terms, less is being provided by central Government than was over the previous four years.

While contributions are not yet secured in many cases, ASC said that “local councils seem to be spending more than half of their floods money from Defra on other things.”

The two rounds of cuts in 2010 reduced the Environment Agency’s flood defence budget by £138 million (21%) within the space of six months. Capital grants including for defence construction were the hardest hit, being reduced by 32%. Revenue funding, for maintaining defences and dealing with flood events, is in steady decline. As a potential warning, the percentage of important flood defences that are below target condition has more than doubled since 2011.

The ASC said that money not spent means future damages will be higher than they need to be, while the cuts imposed mean floods will happen that could be cost effectively avoided.

In the Committee’s view, not enough is being spent and the UK  can expect the number of households at flood risk and damages from flood events to be on the increase. The policy note estimates that current spending even with rising external contributions is more than half a billion pounds behind the amount needed to avoid increasing flood risk. Flood defences deliver fantastic value for money, preventing £8 in future damages per £1 invested. But the flip side is also true, that money not spent means future damages will be higher than they need to be. The cuts imposed mean floods will happen that could be cost effectively avoided.

The ASC is warning that even using modest assumptions, limited spending over the current period means the UK can expect an extra £3 billion in avoidable flood damage in future years.

Debate is now developing around the additional levels of investment needed to further strengthen the UK's flood defence infrastructure. The CCC has already warned that £500 million is needed over the next four years alone to prepare for the increased risk of flooding brought about by the effects of climate change.

In the run-up to the next general election, the Government must now be giving very serious thought to how it handles the whole issue. Governments often have a defining moment in the life of their time in power – witness Tony Blair and Iraq. Flooding may turn out to be the defining moment for David Cameron. 

Click here to download the CCC's overview of flood defence spending.