Preston and South Ribble to get £16m extra for flood defences

Lancashire communities hit by the December 2015 floods are set to benefit from £16m of extra funding.
Flooding in Croston in 2015Flooding in Croston in 2015
Flooding in Croston in 2015

The Government said tonight that an overall £62m of extra cash will fund 13 projects, mainly in Yorkshire, Cumbria and the North East.

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the pledge would help protect more than 9,000 homes and was in addition to the Government’s current £2.6 billion flood defence programme.

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In the north west, £22.8m has been allocated to projects in Kendal, Egremont, Flimby and Preston and South Ribble.

The Ribble in full flood with masses of debris rushing past. Pic: Roger GoodwinThe Ribble in full flood with masses of debris rushing past. Pic: Roger Goodwin
The Ribble in full flood with masses of debris rushing past. Pic: Roger Goodwin

Outside the north, the announcement also covers schemes in Essex and Lincolnshire.

Ms Villiers said: “I am delighted to announce over £60m of additional funding to better protect communities which are vulnerable to flooding.

“Events this summer have shown that investing in flood risk management is more important than ever, and this funding builds on our long-standing £2.6 billion commitment to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding and coastal erosion over six years.”

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Emma Howard Boyd, chairwoman of the Environment Agency and UK commissioner on the Global Commission on Adaptation, said: “This extra funding will help us to go even further in our mission to better protect communities up and down the country from the terrible effects of flooding.

“We will work closely with these communities to design and build projects which not only reduce flood risk but which also benefit wildlife and the local economy for decades to come.

“This vital investment comes on the same day that the Global Commission on Adaptation has released a report which issues a rallying cry to the international community to invest more in climate resilience including better protection for flood risk.”

According to Defra, the Environment Agency has completed construction of more than 500 new flood and coastal erosion schemes since April 2015.

It said the Government will set out a policy statement on preparations for flood and coastal erosion later this year.