Flood defences £25m investment to protect homes

The coastline around Poole bridge will be protected with a £12m investment

More than £25m has been allocated to two flood defence schemes in Dorset and Hampshire.

The flagship North Portsea Coastal Scheme in Hampshire covers 5.2 miles (8.4km) of coastline from Tipner through to Milton.

It will receive £13.8 million Environment Agency (EA) funding to protect more than 4,000 properties and 500 businesses.

More than £12m has been awarded to flood defences from Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill in Dorset.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said the scheme reduce the risk of tidal flooding to more than 2,000 properties in and around Poole town centre "over the next 100 years".

Councillor Andy Hadley said: "The project will also support redevelopment of the Poole West Quays, including a continuous public quayside, and this funding is a welcome boost towards delivering that vision."

The Portsea scheme has been underway since 2015 and is due to finish in 2026.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the £85.9m project said the money "gives us an exciting opportunity to ensure this vital sea defence project leaves behind a green legacy".

In February, more than £2.5bn of government funding was committed to flood protection schemes across England.

The Environment Agency (EA) says the funding for both new and pre-existing schemes will reduce the risk from flooding for more than 60,000 properties in England.

There is also money for coastal defences along the south coast, including Eastbourne, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, as well as reservoir maintenance works at Aldershot.

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

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.

Last year, a cross-party committee of MPs said between 2021 and 2024, the Conservatives had failed to properly maintain existing flood defences or build enough new ones.

The government says it inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record.

Floods minister Emma Hardy said the investment will "build and repair over 1,000 flood defences across the country".

More than £100m has also been earmarked to repair and maintain defences, some of which were damaged in last year's floods.