Environment Agency gives £68m for flood protection

Money will be spent both on new flood prevention schemes and the repair of existing ones, says the Environment Agency

Properties across the East of England could get the "long-term protection they need" after the Environment Agency (EA) pledged to spend £68m on flood schemes.

The investment will help safeguard 6,000 homes and businesses throughout the region, boost the economy, and create jobs, according to the EA.

The funding comes after the government committed to spending £2.65bn over two years on building new flood schemes and the repair and maintenance of existing ones.

Caroline Douglass, executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the EA, said defending communities was a "priority."

She said climate change had made it "more important than ever".

"The delivery of the schemes will be welcome news for homeowners and businesses who have experienced flooding and may face more extreme weather.

"Our focus is now on working to deliver these schemes on time, ensuring as many properties as possible are protected," she added.

Caroline Douglass, from the Environment Agency, hopes the flood schemes can be completed as soon as possible

One of the schemes to benefit is the East Anglia Property Flood Resilience Project, which will receive £100,000.

It involves the installation of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures in homes which either flooded in December 2020 or were assessed to be at significant risk of river flooding.

It includes flood doors, flood barriers, automatic airbricks, non-return valves, sealing around cables and pipes, sump pumps, puddle pumps, repointing and waterproofing.

Twenty seven homes have had the measures installed so far, with about 30 more set to have them in the coming months.

The EA is also spending £1.3m refurbishing Tail Sluice in Norfolk, on the River Great Ouse, to ensure it remains fit for purpose for the next 18 years.

The sluice, located at the coastal end of the river, is part of the wider Ely Ouse Flood Protection Scheme, which covers more than 1,000 properties.

Work is ongoing on the Fens 2100+ project, which is developing a long-term plan to manage flood risk on the former marshlands.

The £68m investment is part of the government's Plan for Change.

The government's floods minister, Emma Hardy

Floods minister Emma Hardy said: "I know from first-hand experience the devastating impacts that flooding can cause.

"Through our Plan for Change, we are ensuring residents have the long-term protection they need."