09.03.20
PM welcomes £5.2bn flood fund and announces further £200m
Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed a £5.2bn investment into flood defences during a visit to Bewdley in Worcestershire on Sunday (Mar 8).
The town, home to the River Severn, was badly hit by floods following the wettest February on record. And although the area of Bewdley is slowly getting over the devastation as the river levels continue to reduce, lasting damages continues to disrupt daily life.
The multi billion pound fund, set to be outlined in Wednesday’s Budget (Mar 11), will help to build 2,000 new flood and coastal defence schemes and protect 336,000 properties in the country.
During his visit, he met with flood victims and commended their resilience during the recent extreme weather. He also thanked the emergency services who have helped during the crisis and the 1,000 Environment Agency staff working with them.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“My every sympathy is with the families and businesses suffering because of the recent floods – I am determined to help them get them back on their feet.
“I want to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of the Environment Agency and emergency services who are working to protect communities hit by the recent storms.
“We need to keep improving our protections against extreme weather, that is why we are investing £5.2 billion for flood defences to support communities up and down the country.”
In addition to the £5.2bn for flood defences, the Prime Minister also unveiled a £200m fund to trial different innovations aimed at improving flood resilience.
The funding will be confirmed in the upcoming budget and will support new and cutting-edge flood solutions, including enhanced infrastructure, able to withstand further damage or sustainable natural defences like leaky dams and woodlands.