Local Authority Flood Defence and Coast Protection Funding for 2007-08
From the Minister of State for Climate Change & Environment
Ian Pearson MP
20 December 2006
| To: | Lord Bruce-Lockhart Chairman Local Government Association |
Dear Sandy
I am writing to confirm the Department’s decisions on the allocation of flood and coastal defence funding for Local Authorities in 2007-08 and arrangements for the CSR07 period.
Analysis of the Medium Term Plans from Operating Authorities shows an overall level of commitment in 2007-08 such that the amount uncommitted from the ‘traditional shared pot’ is only £9 million. I do not propose to set a Priority Score for 2007-08 or subsequent years as this amount is too small for such an approach to give optimal results and because I do not wish to prejudice the introduction of new Outcome Measures on which we are also launching a consultation this week. I have decided therefore to fund SMPs, strategy plans, coastal monitoring and other essential studies at a cost of £2.1 million in 2007-08 to allow strategic planning for the investment programme to be strengthened.
You might like to know that the committed expenditure includes the scheme at Ross-on-Wye which could not be funded this year and that I also intend to allow the scheme at Weston-Super-Mare to start for the following reasons:-
- It reduces the risk of sea flooding to over 3,800 properties.
- It is a well developed scheme which can proceed quickly.
- It demonstrates a joined up approach from government by allowing the Council to make use of regeneration funds which might otherwise be lost.
However we would want to cap the spend on the project to £4 million in 2007/08. This would leave £2.7 million of our budget unallocated. This will be held in reserve and could be used to fund any emergency works or variations in costs of approved schemes which come along next year or other government flood and coastal erosion risk management priorities. This decision builds on last year's approach and delivers our top priorities for 2007-08. The LA share of the ‘traditional capital pot’ in 2007-08 will be £57.5 million.
As you know we have been working with the Environment Agency to develop a suite of Outcome Measures for flood and coastal erosion risk management and the Department is undertaking a formal consultation on these along with proposals for a prioritisation process to be used in determining allocations for the CSR07 period.
Officials will be notifying Chief Executives of local authorities of their approved projects which have been entered on the Department’s forward capital programme.
I recognise that some local authorities might be disappointed at the level of spending that can be devoted to new LA projects in 2007-08. However funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management remains some 30% greater in real terms than it was in 1997 and we now have a fully committed, major programme of work planned for next year and beyond, including that which is managed by the Environment Agency, for the benefit of communities across the country.
I should also stress that managing flood and coastal erosion risk is about much more than building defences; there are other extremely important ways in which we seek to reduce risk and in which local authorities have major roles to play.
First, we want local planning authorities to ensure that inappropriate development does not take place in flood and coastal erosion risk areas. The Government has recently reinforced this message through publication of Planning Policy Statement 25.
Secondly, we must mitigate the consequences of flooding for example through flood forecasting and warning systems, public awareness campaigns and preparing for flooding emergencies, including through professional partners’ contingency planning process.
There are a range of partners involved in planning for, and dealing with, flooding events at the national, regional and local levels. Locally, Local Resilience Fora assess risk and prepare emergency response plans and will again rely heavily on local authority input, working with their professional partners including the Environment Agency which is funded by Defra for this role.
Defra is also playing a major role in the Cabinet Office led “Capabilities Programme” which is seeking to build the capability of all key players across the country to respond to a range of serious emergencies. A national capabilities survey was conducted earlier this year which included an assessment of the ability of all partners to respond to serious inland and coastal flooding scenarios. This survey identified some shortfalls in capability, both floods specific and more generically (eg in relation to evacuation and emergency housing) which we are seeking to close through the capabilities programme and for which we need local authority involvement.
This portfolio approach to reducing flood risk is a major element of our long term strategy Making space for water which recognises that it is not sustainable economically, technically or environmentally to adopt a single approach of just building more and higher defences. In any case extreme floods which exceed the standard of protection of defences, or breaching, can take place. We therefore need to adapt to climate change impacts and build our resilience to flooding; to be successful we need local authorities to fulfil the vital roles mentioned working with the Environment Agency for the benefit of your communities.
| [signed] | |
| Ian Pearson |
Page last
modified: 22 December 2006
Page published: 22 December 2006