Homes and businesses in Gosport are better protected from flooding and coastal erosion and the Government has exceeded its target to boost flood protection by 2026-27.
Investment in flood defences has been spread across every region of England, and Gosport has received £1,432,000 since 2015.
The £2.6 billion six-year programme of work dedicated to improving flood and coastal defences has exceeded its original targets–with over 314,000 homes now better protected from flooding. The Conservative Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan outlines how a 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.
More than 850 new flood and coastal erosion defence projects have already been completed. Over 580,000 acres of agricultural land, as well as thousands of businesses, communities and major infrastructure have been protected – including more than 8,000 kilometres of roads.
The Government’s funding prioritised areas where flood defences were needed the most, supporting communities at high risk of flooding. New flood schemes in the most deprived parts of the country have also qualified for funding at 2.25 times the rate of other areas.
According to estimates, the programme has saved the economy more than £28 billion in damages to homes and businesses through the extra protection provided to communities across the country.
Commenting Caroline said:
“Flooding can devastate communities, including here in Gosport, and so we must put in place protections to protect our homes and livelihoods from the impact of extreme weather.
“That is why I welcome the £1,432,000 invested already by the Conservative Government to protect homes and businesses in Gosport with flood alleviation schemes – helping to protect homes from flooding and coastal erosion.
“This investment is helping to guard our homes and families from the devastating impact of flooding, giving our communities the reassurance they need as we Build Back Better from the pandemic.”
Commenting, Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
“Our programme of work has protected over 314,000 properties, defending people, communities, and businesses from flooding and coastal erosion. We know that there is still more to do, so we are doubling our investment with a record £5.2 billion over the next six years.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
- The Conservative Government is doubling investment in flood defences and coastal erosion schemes during the next six-year investment period. It announced in the 2020 Budget that £5.2billion will be invested in flood defences between 2021-27. This is double the previous flood and coastal defence programme and will protect 336,000 homes, as well as many farms and businesses (HMT, Budget 2020,12 March 2020, Budget 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
- The Conservative Government is starting work on at least 22 new shovel-ready flood defence projects in 2020 and 2021.The projects, which were identified by the Environment Agency, will drive growth and unlock a range of benefits for local economies(DEFRA, Press Release, 14 July 2022, Multi-billion pound investment as government unveils new long-term plan to tackle flooding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
- The Conservative Government established the Farming Recovery Fund to assist farmers whose land has been damaged by flooding and erosion. The Farming Recovery Fund provides money to help farmers whose agricultural land has been affected by flooding. It provides financial assistance up to 100 per cent, with a minimum grant level of £500 and a maximum grant level of £25,000 (DEFRA,Guidance,4 June 2020, [Withdrawn] Agricultural Land flooded in February 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
- The Conservative Government provided £200 million to help communities most at risk of flooding recover from the impact of flooding in 2020.It provided rapid assistance to 25 areas impacted by flooding to increase their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion, helping the communities to recover and avoid future damage from extreme weather (HMT, Budget 2020, 12 March 2020, Budget 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk))
