Urgent funding call to reduce the risk of 'catastrophic floods'

AREAS such as Somerset face "catastrophic flooding and economic devastation" without further Government funding for protections, councils have warned.

- JONATHAN BUNN

Senior local government figures said local taxpayers will now have to foot the bill for flood defence maintenance in many districts after the Environment Agency re-prioritised which areas receive support.

Local leaders have warned they already face a backlog of vital works and rising costs after the agency scaled back its work due to funding cuts in recent years.

The District Councils' Network (DCN) said urgent funding is needed to reduce flood risk by keeping river courses free from obstruction, otherwise local taxpayers will have to cover costs.

The bill for vital protection measures mean councils will be forced to cut other services even if, as expected, council tax is raised by the maximum permitted, DCN said.

Flood protection is the responsibility of 112 internal drainage boards in England which protect nearly a tenth of the landmass.

They are funded via councils through levies on council tax and on the owners of property including agricultural land.

Paul Redgate, chairman of the Internal Drainage Boards Interest Group, said: “The withdrawal of funding for so many stretches of river amounts to cost-shunting from central government to already squeezed local taxpayers.