70 more homes and businesses in Worcester are to be better protected from flooding by 2026-27, as part of new plans published by the Conservative Government alongside a £5.2 billion investment.
The Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan outlines how this record £5.2 billion of investment over the next six years will be spent, including more than £860 million in 2021-22 on boosting the design and construction of more than 1,000 flooding alleviation schemes.
35 homes will benefit from £173,000 of investment in 2021-22, as part of the £860 million worth of investment, helping to rapidly give greater protections to homes which are vulnerable to flooding and coastal erosion.
The funding will help to protect a total of 336,000 properties in England by 2026-2027, including 70 in Worcester, helping to avoid £32 billion in wider economic damages and reducing the national flood risk by up to 11 per cent across the country.
The funding will be accompanied by a consultation in the autumn, where the Government will look at how to better protect frequently flooded communities, following a call for evidence earlier this year.
It will consider how to strengthen the assessment of local circumstances, such as where areas have flooded on multiple occasions, when allocating funding during the six-year plan.
The Conservative Government is also bringing in tighter guidance for planning authorities as part of a package of actions to better protect and prepare communities for flooding.
Improvements to flood insurance such as measures to allow flooded households to claim extra money to install property flood resilience measures – like air brick covers, flood doors and flood resistant paint – and measures to tackle the risks from surface water flooding are also included in the plans.
Commenting, local MP Robin Walker said:
“Worcester residents know the damage flooding can do to communities which is why I have made additional flood defences and protection for homes and businesses a priority since I was elected in 2010.
“The city centre scheme to reduce surface water damage will help keep the area around the Hive safe, while a major scheme to protect Toronto Close will invest £160,000 in an area whose residents have suffered a great deal.
“Importantly, these investments will help to guard homes and families from the devastating impact of flooding, allowing people to feel reassured about the safety of their home.”
Commenting, Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
“The tragic recent events in Germany and Belgium serve as a sobering reminder of how devastating flooding can be.
“We are standing by communities and will bolster defences against flooding across England with many thousands more properties better protected by 2027.
“It’s important we take action right across the system. Our comprehensive plan will achieve this by tightening planning procedures, helping more people access insurance and making homes more resilient to flooding.”