Wiltshire to get £1m after incredibly wet winter

Improvements will be made to drainage systems around the county

An extra £1m is to be spent on flood prevention measures in Wiltshire after one of the wettest winters on record.

The funding from Wiltshire Council will be spent on small-scale drainage improvements to cut the risk of flooding.

The work will focus on fixing issues at a local level to prevent road flooding, which in turn can flood properties and damage the road.

Council Leader Richard Clewer said the rise in flooding incidents is having a "real impact on communities".

"The recent winter was one of the wettest on record, and climate change will continue to bring us wetter conditions and more intense rainfall events in the coming years," he said.

“We know that these increased flooding incidents can have a real impact on our communities, which is why we are investing more money into drainage improvements throughout Wiltshire."

Mr Clewer added that the investment will see permanent improvements to rural communities which are "the worst affected".

The full list of areas for improvements will be created with input from the council’s Operational Flood Working Groups and will focus on smaller schemes to allow a larger number to be delivered across the county, the council said.