Allocating the increased funding for flood risk management was among the topics for discussion yesterday when the Environment Agency Board met in Bristol .
The Government has announced that funding for flood risk management will increase to £800 million by 2010/11. Of this figure around £679 million will be available as Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) for the Environment Agency, as well as for Local Authority and Internal Drainage Board capital projects. Under new Outcome Measures the Environment Agency has identified key targets which these funds will deliver over the three year period.
Speaking in advance of the meeting Environment Agency Chairman Sir John Harman said
"Floods have a devastating effect on lives and property. With the impacts of climate change taking effect, extreme rainfall events such as that which we saw last summer are becoming more likely and a long term investment strategy for flood risk management is essential"
"The damage caused by last summer’s floods taught us more about the causes of flooding and highlighted where improvements need to be made. This additional funding will help develop flood defence and warning systems, helping keep those at risk out of harms way and protecting a further 145,000 houses from flooding."
The Environment Agency has agreed key outcomes with Government that the additional funding will deliver :-- Minimising development in high flood risk areas by providing expert advice to developers.
- Taking a strategic, long-term look at flood risk by further developing Flood Management Plans for rivers and shorelines.
- Investment in flood defence projects which have an at least a five-fold return on the value of the property defended
- Developing strong construction and maintenance programmes to build and maintain flood defences and protecting a further 145,000 houses from flooding, of which 45,000 are at significant risk of flooding
- Targeting the most deprived 20% of areas to reduce flood risk to those homes which are at significant or greater risk of flooding
- Improving the condition of 24,000 hectares of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by 2010
- Creating 800 hectares of habitats for UK priority species of plants and animals, of which 300 hectares should be intertidal, by 2011
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