The Environment Agency’s wildlife policy has made flooding worse

sir – The removal of the national flood defence budget from the incompetent grasp of the Environment Agency is now essential.

Its misguided policy on safeguarding animal and bird life by ceasing to dredge rivers regularly has, over time, massively reduced their drainage capacity after heavy rains, and has in fact led to the drowning of millions of small mammals.

There have also been grotesque examples of wasting money, such as spending £500 per vole to remove them from where flood defence work was due to start. In another case, a £20,000 repair job ballooned to £200,000 by the time badgers were moved to man-made setts – which they promptly abandoned.

During the floods in the Somerset Levels in 2014, one long-term resident pointed out that before 1989, when flood defence was managed by the National Rivers Authority, the exit rivers were dredged regularly every autumn where needed, and it took five days of continuous rain for any risk of overtopping. After the Environment Agency took over, dredging was discontinued and now it took a mere two days of rain before overtopping occurred.

R B Skepper

Member, Middle Alde Internal Drainage Authority

Woodbridge, Suffolk

sir – Before the Environment Agency took over flood alerts, we in the Severn valley had a very good and sensible routine.

Every farmer upstream would notify a set list of other farmers and local bodies downstream of the river situation. Parish councils and village policemen were also notified.

First it was automated, which didn’t work at all well. Then the Environment Agency took over completely and we farmers now never hear a word from them, even though we live on site and know exactly the state of all our watercourses.

Rob Price

Shrewsbury

sir – I find it disgusting, contemptible and reprehensible that leaders of opposition parties are making political capital out of the misery of the people of Yorkshire.

John Gander

Worthing, West Sussex

sir – Scenes of householders being flooded out yet again are distressing to watch – as it is to hear they are not insured, as they cannot obtain cover.

The Government should set up a scheme similar to that successfully adopted many years ago in America, where those in hurricane-prone states in the South could not obtain insurance cover. The Government should allocate funds to create a reinsurance stop-loss facility to protect insurers, who would be obliged to provide flood cover.

There is a precedent for government intervention in the reinsurance scheme set up in 1992 after IRA bombing.

Simon Galwey

Matfield, Kent