England's flood defence plans reduced 'due to inflation'

Residents in static caravans were rescued from the rising floodwater in Dorset during Storm Ciarán

The number of extra homes to be protected from flooding in England has been cut by almost half.

The government had committed to better protecting 336,000 more properties between 2021 and 2027.

But a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) says this was reduced to 200,000, a cut of 40%, with inflation cited as the major reason.

The government says it is delivering record investment in flood protection.

The reduction of the pledge, made in 2020, comes despite inflation falling to its lowest rate in two years, and recent storms that have caused widespread damage and flooding across the UK.

Storm Debi brought heavy rain and strong winds to several regions this week, and earlier this month Storm Ciarán lashed the UK and parts of the British Isles, causing flooding, severe damage to properties, and travel disruption.

Storm Ciarán came hot on the heels of Storm Babet in October, which killed three people in the UK amid widespread flooding and disruption.

The UK's public spending watchdog also said the Environment Agency had removed 500 of the 2,000 new flood defence projects originally included in the government's six-year flood and coastal erosion programme - despite the government doubling capital funding for the programme to £5.2bn.

A shopping centre in Hastings, East Sussex, was evacuated after heavy rain caused major flooding in October

Meanwhile 203,000 properties that already have flood protection face an increased risk because of a £34m shortfall in the Environment Agency's maintenance funding for 2022-23, the report said.

There was also an underspend of £310m when it came to investing in new projects during the first two years of the capital programme.

The NAO warned that due to underspending in the first two years, an average of almost £1bn will need to be spent each year over the remaining four years to spend the full £5.2bn.

It said this creates a risk for projects to be accelerated or new projects to be introduced too quickly, leading to delays or cost overruns, as the agency strives to meet this level of investment.

The NAO recommended The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency and the Treasury work together to ensure that decisions on the capital programme are focused on maximising value for money.

The River Arun in Pulborough, West Sussex, burst its banks in the aftermath of Storm Ciarán

The government has not set a target for the level of flood resilience it expects to achieve and has not mapped out any solid plans beyond 2026 to bridge the gap between its shorter-term actions and long-term objectives, the report noted.

Tom Lancaster, land analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said recent storms have brought flooding to the top of the political agenda, and that the NAO's report revealed England is "well off the pace in using the power of nature to protect homes and communities".

"Restoring sponge-like peatlands can keep water in the hills and out of living rooms, and new woodlands and wetlands will slow the flow and absorb carbon, mitigating as well as adapting to climate change," he said.

A Defra spokesperson said the government's priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions for the country.

"As has already been set out in the Environment Agency's annual report, inflationary pressures and delays brought about by the pandemic mean we must look again at the targets set out in our £5.2bn programme," they said.

"We will consider the National Audit Office's recommendations as we continue to deliver our record investment to protect hundreds of thousands of homes from floods."