Suffolk leaders demand £20 million of government funding for flood protection
Suffolk County Council says it's already set aside nearly £14 million to help those still recovering from Storm Babet
Last updated 15th Oct 2024
Suffolk County Council has written to the Government asking for more funding to protect the county from flooding.
The local authority yesterday announced its intention to invest £1.5 million to carry out flooding prevention work, but says it cannot afford a further £20 million a flood investigation report says is needed to complete the work.
It's now asking Flooding Minister, Emma Hardy MP to get the Government to step up and plug the funding gap.
What sort of projects would the money be spent on?
Creating flood water retention ponds in land above villages and green spaces within communities to capture water and slow the flow into residential areas.
Installing flood doors and non-return valves on drains to stop water entering properties that are particularly at risk of flooding.
Help landowners with advice and guidance, especially those within responsibilities to maintain ditches and streams on their properties (known as ‘riparian ownership’).
Bolstering Suffolk Highways’ resources to deliver planned and reactive maintenance on the county’s roads and footpaths.
"Complex and costly"
Councillor Paul West, Cabinet Member for Operational Highways and Flooding, said: “Since Storm Babet, our teams have been working hard to repair the damage it caused, investigate what happened and to help reduce the flood risk in future. This preventative work is complex, costly and requires lots of agencies work together.
“Despite limited resources and budgetary challenges facing all county councils, we have managed to find extra money to tackle flooding and propose investing a further £1.5 million to deliver work identified in our investigations.
"However, this isn’t enough and - so steep is the challenge facing areas like Suffolk, who were hit hard by Storm Babet - the government must act and provide extra funding.
"This is why we’ve written to the Flooding Minister asking for additional money. The government needs to step up to the plate and help us ensure Suffolk’s residents don’t face uncertainty when these extreme weather events occur.
“I saw firsthand how devastating the impact of Storm Babet was for many families and businesses across Suffolk. The finished flood investigation reports give us a clear understanding of what work needs to be done and at what cost.
"It is right that we continue to increase our resources appropriately, but unless the government acts too we will not be able to go as far as our residents deserve.”
Storm Babet struck between October 18th and 21st last year and caused substantial flooding and disruption across Suffolk.
A month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours, flooding more than 900 homes and businesses, demanding an urgent multiagency response.
So far, Suffolk County Council says it's committed more than £13.75 million for work to aid recovery from Storm Babet.