Protecting communities and powering renewal: Over 24,000 homes and businesses protected from floods in first year

More than 24,000 homes and businesses have been better protected from floods as the government today (Wednesday 8 October) confirmed the delivery of 151 schemes in its first year in power.   

This government inherited flood defences in the worst condition on record, but through increased funding for maintenance and repairs the country's flood defences, protecting homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, have been improved compared to previous years.

As part of the Plan for Change, this government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit more than 890,000 properties – by constructing new flood schemes, repairing existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.

This investment in our towns and cities is helping to grow both the national and local economies, creating thousands of jobs, protecting town centres against billions of pounds in property damage, and safeguarding valuable farmland. It will also help unlock land previously unsuitable for development due to a higher risk of flooding, contributing to plans to build the 1.5 million new homes Britain needs faster.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

We inherited crumbling flood defences in their worst condition on record – but in just a year, we have turned the tide and ramped up protection for the public.

Under the Plan for Change, this government has delivered 151 flood schemes – safeguarding more than 24,000 properties from flooding in communities across the country.

Our huge £10.5 billion investment into new flood defences will protect more people from the devastation of flooding. It will also help our towns and cities to prosper by driving forward economic growth, creating new jobs and building new homes for future generations.

Newly completed schemes during the government's first year include:

• The Pevensey Bay Sea Defences in East Sussex which has better protected 3,225 properties.   
• The Saltfleet to Gibraltar Point Beach Management scheme in Lincolnshire which has better protected 2,904 local properties.  
• The Cockett Wick seawall improvement scheme in Jaywick which has better protected 1,526 properties.    
• Phase 2 of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme in Yorkshire which has better protected 804 properties.

Caroline Douglass, Executive Director of Floods and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency, said:

Flooding has a devastating impact on communities across the country and will continue to worsen as extreme weather is caused by our changing climate.

Our teams and partners have worked to deliver another 151 flood schemes that are vitally needed across the country – and are ready to take action to protect people and homes this winter.

We will continue to work with the government to deliver its long-term flood investment programme, ensuring the most vulnerable communities get the protection they need.

Adrian Lythgo, Chair of the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC), said:

In the last 12 months, Regional Flood and Coastal Committees across the country have continued to work with the Government and all risk management authorities in their areas to keep momentum behind flood investment and to sponsor the development and delivery of flood schemes, including those highlighted today as well as deploying wider flood resilience measures to improve flood protection and recovery.

With the frequency of extreme weather events increasing and more than 6 million properties in England at risk from flooding, homes and businesses continue to face unprecedented impacts which are costing the UK economy billions every year.  

The government has redirected £108 million for urgent maintenance works, halting the decline of major assets and ensuring communities can feel confident that they are protected.  

The government is committed to ensuring that further progress is made to safeguard communities from future flooding. By the end of the current two-year investment programme in April 2026, the total number of properties better protected by new defences is expected to rise to over 52,000 properties.  

In July, the £75 million Canvey Island Flood Defence Scheme was completed. This scheme renewed 3 kilometres of tidal defences in Essex and better protected more than 6,000 properties for the next 50 years.   

Work continues on the Wyre Beach Management Scheme in Blackpool, which will better protect 3,000 properties when completed. The Southsea Coastal Scheme in Portsmouth is also progressing, with an injection of £180 million to protect 4.5 kilometres of coastline and create new and appealing public spaces. When completed by 2029, this will provide protection for 10,000 homes and 700 businesses.  

On top of the 151 schemes confirmed as complete today, last March the government announced that 1,000 flood schemes across the country will be built or repaired to protect thousands of homes and businesses, underpinned by a two-year, £2.65 billion investment.

Notes to editors:

• In the 2025 Spending Review (SR), the Government set out funding for flood defences over the next three years.  

• This included £4.2 billion that will be spent over this SR period (2026/27 – 2028/29) to construct new flood schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across the country. This includes both capital and resource spending.   

• As part of the Government's landmark Infrastructure Strategy, we also announced capital spending over a longer term, committing a record £7.9bn over 10 years from 2026/27 to protect 840,000 homes and businesses in England from the growing threat of flooding.   

• In March, prior to the Spending Review, we announced our shorter-term investment plans. We announced that the Government had committed a record two-year investment of £2.65 billion with 52,000 properties set to benefit from new defences by March 2026.   

• Taking together the £2.65bn that will be invested by March 2026 and our £7.9 billion 10-year investment starting in 2026/27, this government will invest more than £10.5 billion into our flood defences by 2035/36.