More than 24,000 properties better protected from floods

MORE than 24,000 homes and businesses have been better protected from floods across England because of recent works to boost resilience, the Government has announced.

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Ministers said the Environment Agency has completed work on 151 flood schemes - such as building new defences or improvements to existing ones - in the 12 months from July last year, when Labour came into power.

These works mean more than 24,000 properties are better protected as the agency works towards its target of 52,000 by April 2026.

It comes after the Government committed to an increase in spending on flood defences, pledging £2.65 billion over the two-year period until April 2026 - up £250 million from what the former Tory government had promised.

The number of UK properties at risk from flooding is growing amid rising sea levels and more volatile rainfall patterns, as well as outdated flood defences and increased development projects.