Storm Chandra brought heavy rain and flooding to the UK in January. I want to again acknowledge the vital work of local authorities which were badly impacted by the flooding, such as those in Somerset, Dorset and Teignbridge district. My thanks also to the vital work of the emergency services, members of the internal drainage boards, the voluntary community and faith sector, and others who responded. Approximately 24,500 properties were protected by Environment Agency assets across all locations.
This is not an isolated event. That is why in the last 18 months, this Government have built our resilience to these events.
As well as investing £2.65 billion in flood defences in our first two years, and funding actions to make farmland more resilient to the effects of flooding and climate change, we moved quickly once in Government to establish a flood resilience taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness.
The taskforce has been working since September 2024 and has reviewed readiness helping us be in a better position before the storms came, it’s also secured training for over 1,500 emergency responders, introduced an improved forecasting service for surface water flooding and a new risk vulnerability tool, to help better identify those communities most vulnerable to flooding. The taskforce includes DEFRA, Cabinet Office, MHCLG and DFT Ministers, representatives from the Environment Agency, Met Office, local resilience forums, and the National Farmers Union.
Yesterday, I chaired the sixth meeting of the full taskforce which focused on the national and local response to this autumn and winter’s flooding. We considered wider societal flood resilience, the Environment Agency’s refresh of its national floods and coastal erosion risk management strategy, and an update on progress of the implementation of the FloodReady report.
After more than a decade of under-investment by the previous Government in the flood defence schemes needed to protect our homes, this Labour Government are investing £4.2 billion over the next three years—2026-27 to 2028-29—to construct new flood defence schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across the country.
Today, I am pleased to announce how we will invest the £1.4 billion we secured for the first of those three years—2026-27—in over 600 flood defence schemes spanning every region of England.
The schemes include a range of different types of flood defence projects: natural flood management schemes, beach management, and the construction of major barriers to help protect coastal and inland communities.
To name just a few, £8 million will be invested in the Pevensey bay to Eastbourne coastal management scheme, helping to protect over 18,000 properties at risk from coastal flooding; £37 million will be invested into the second phase of the “Our City Our River” scheme, a major flood alleviation and regeneration programme along the River Derwent in Derby; and in the north-west, £15 million will be invested in the Preston and South Ribble flood risk management scheme. The scheme is designed to reduce flood risk and provide protection for around 5,000 homes and businesses and also includes measures to address climate change, enhance local environments, and support growth and regeneration in the surrounding communities.