UK Floods Minister, Emma Hardy has announced a £50m package to protect homes and businesses on the Somerset Levels. Bridgwater Labour Party Flooding spokesman Julian Taylor, who lives on the levels and was flooded out of his home in 2014, welcomed the investment saying “This package in long overdue. The recent flood threat in January this has emphasised the need for immediate funding, following years of cutbacks to the EA budget initiated by the austerity led Conservative Liberal coalition in 2010.”.
Julian Taylor, a North Petherton Town Councillor, continued “The Environment Agency has just not been able to provide the necessary flood protection work in Somerset. Pumping stations are now not fit for purpose, the levels and drains have not been dredged, banks allowed to subside, necessary staffing reduced. With climate change accelerating, dryer summers and wetter winters the flooding threat to people and businesses on the levels has become more severe.”
Chairman of Bridgwater Labour Party Cllr Tim Mander said “Members of the Bridgwater Labour Party were in contact in the autumn of 2023 with the then shadow floods minister Emma Hardy and her advisors over the issues with the Environment Agency. She was fully briefed, which included issues raised by the Internal Drainage Board. On becoming minister in 2024, Emma Hardy has managed to get cabinet support to ensure that the treasury released money for Somerset. Previous attempts through our then local MP’s failed.”
Prevention
Julian Taylor added “We are very thankful that at last Somerset is being recognised as a special case for assistance against flooding. We await the full consultation by the Somerset council and trust that the monies will be appropriately fully used for flood prevention and not absorbed into the other problems facing the council.”
The funding will go directly to Somerset Council and is intended for upgrading pumping capacity, dredging and better watercourse maintenance. It is also intended to shield vital farmland to prevent rising food supply chain costs and to encourage climate resilience measures incorporating engineering defences and nature based solutions.