£170m to provide new flood defences
NORTH EAST GETS £7.45M TO PROTECT HOMES AND BUSINESSES
THE Government has announced funding of up to £170m for 22 “shovel-ready” flood defence projects across England – including three in the North East.
The funding, aimed at protecting homes, businesses and jobs, comes on top of a long-term £5.2bn package to construct around 2,000 new flood and coastal defences that will better protect 336,000 properties from flooding by 2027.
The £5.2 billion, which will protect thousands of key sites such as schools and hospitals and ensure existing defences are well maintained, will avoid £32bn of wider economic damage from flooding, the Government said.
And an extra £200m will be provided for innovative projects, such as creating sustainable urban drainage schemes or wetlands to store water and boost wildlife at the same time, which will be tested out in 25 at-risk areas.
The list of projects includes:
■ £6m for the Team Valley. This scheme will provide better protection for the Team Valley trading estate, which employs nearly 20,000 people. The estate is at risk of river and surface water flooding, which is preventing further growth. The scheme will use a range of techniques, from hard engineering to the use of natural flood management further upstream on the River Team.
■ £1m for Hexham. This scheme will deliver a solution to the high risk of river flooding on two industrial estates in Hexham, which are located close to the banks of the River Tyne. The Government says this will provide peace of mind for investors and support existing economic growth, with the investment going into the construction of the project after the recent withdrawal of a large contributor.
■ £450,000 for Ponteland. This scheme is improvement of an existing embankment and flood wall, to provide a more climate resilient standard of protection. The upgraded wall runs on the right hand side of the river Pont through Ponteland, protecting businesses on the High Street and a large housing estate downstream. The works will also address risks from surface water flooding
There are also proposed changes to the Government and insurance industry joint scheme Flood Re as part of the plans being unveiled by ministers.
These include offering discounted premiums to households which have fitted protection measures such as air brick covers, and allowing payment of claims to include additional amounts to rebuild properties so they are better protected from future floods.
The Government also said it would review the policy for building in areas at risk of floods to protect future development, amid concerns over homes being built on floodplains, and expand flood warning systems.
The plans include a commitment to doubling the number of Government-funded projects, including natural solutions such as planting trees, restoring peatland and wetlands and looking after soils, which also have benefits for wildlife and tackling climate change.
The £5.2bn investment, announced in the Budget in March, is for schemes from 2021.
But the £170m cash injection will help boost the economy as areas recover from the pandemic by starting work from this year on 22 projects, which are ready to go with help to reach required levels of funding. As well as protecting homes, the projects will defend more than 10,000 local businesses and safeguard around 100,000 jobs that rely on those firms, the Government said.
These projects include up to £21m for the second phase of a flood prevention scheme in Leeds, which will protect more than 370 businesses and enable development of land to create homes and jobs.
The Government will also provide funding of £1.3m for “natural flood management” measures to reduce the flow of rainwater into the River Aire, such as planting woodland.
Other schemes being supported range from funding to protect critical infrastructure on the south coast around Brighton, Hove and Shoreham, to restoring peatland in the Peak District and protecting Hebden Bridge, in West Yorkshire, which was hit by floods earlier this year.