NEARLY 65,000 more homes will get better protection from flooding after the green light for construction to start on 93 defence schemes this year.
With £294m to be invested in risk management it means 165,000 homes are expected to be more able to withstand floods by 2015, 20,000 more than the current goal.
Environment secretary Owen Paterson said the projects approved will bring relief to the owners and occupants of tens of thousands of homes and businesses “They can get on with their daily lives and work knowing that there are well built defences.”
He added: “This is also a message to the business community. By building defences that will unlock the economic potential of once-blighted land we are saying to them that it is safe to come and set up.”
The latest schemes bring the total of partnership funding contributions to £148m. Those contributions, from local councils, businesses and private investors, are in addition to the Government’s investment. The increase in external investment has been made possible by the partnership funding model introduced by Defra in 2011 to allow more schemes to go ahead.
Paterson continued: “Our partnership funding approach is a clear success, bringing in £148m on top of our £2.3 billion investment so that more flood defences can be built.”
This year partnership funded projects include a £50m scheme in Leeds that will protect 495 businesses and create more than 18,000 jobs. Leeds City Council is contributing £10m with a further £5m expected from local businesses. Sea defences at Anchorsholme in Lancashire will reduce the risk of flooding to 6,000 homes and transport infrastructure..
The £9.7m Skipton scheme in North Yorkshire will reduce flooding to 350 residential and 165 business properties in the market town. Around £2m of the project cost have been brought forward by local companies.
Image – The programme will bring flood relief to thousands of properties.
