More than 150 Yorkshire flood schemes to benefit from record investment

Businesses and homes in Yorkshire are to be better protected from flooding as part of plans published today by the Government and Environment Agency, with £125.7m invested in more than 150 schemes in 2021/22.

The investment is part of plans outlining £5.2bn of investment over the next six years.

More than £860m will be spent in 2021/22 boosting design and construction of more than 1,000 schemes across England as part of the Environment Agency’s annual capital programme.

It is all part of the Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan, published today, which sets out how new flood and coastal schemes will better protect 336,000 properties by 2027, helping to avoid £32bn in wider economic damages and reducing the national flood risk by up to 11%.

This follows the Environment Agency’s delivery of the Government’s previous £2.6bn investment between 2015 and 2021, better protecting more than 314,000 homes.

Hebden Bridge Flood Alleviation Scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding for the inhabitants and businesses of the town from several key areas including:

River flooding from the Calder and Hebden Water
Flooding from the Rochdale Canal
Surface water flooding in the town centre and upper sections of Hebden Bridge

The Environment Agency is working with Calderdale Council to design and build the scheme for Hebden Bridge.

It will better protect 186 homes and 200 businesses, significantly reducing the risk of flooding and providing the community with valuable time to respond and stay safe.

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 the effects of flooding.”

The record yearly investment will see an extra £250m invested in flood and coastal defences in 2021/22 compared with last year – the highest ever annual investment.

It includes an extra £40m compared with last year for new schemes in Yorkshire and the Humber, a region that has suffered from repeated flooding in recent years.

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said: “We have seen some devastating flooding around the world so far this summer. No one can prevent all flooding and climate change means the risk is increasing, but we can reduce the risks.

“Having completed the Government’s previous six year capital programme on time and on budget, better protecting more than 314,000 homes from flooding and coastal erosion, this year we began the Government’s new £5.2bn flood programme.

“These schemes should provide reassurance to communities and businesses, but no one should have a false sense of security. I strongly urge people to sign up for flood warnings and regularly check flood risk on gov.uk.”