Environment Agency to invest in flood defenses

The Environment Agency (EA) has announced its top priorities for the next two years. These include flood risk management, climate change adaptation and a crack down on environmental crime.

Bosses from the agency highlighted these areas in an announcement following reports of the agency getting increased government funding.

Last month government ministers confirmed that funding for the EA would rise to £796 million, topping up the agency’s total budget for the year to £1.1 billion.

Barbara Young, the EA’s chief executive, said: “We have a lot of work to do this coming year.

“Flood risk management, climate change adaptation, water resources, river quality, agricultural pollution and cracking down on environmental crime are just a few of the things that are on the top of our list.”

The majority of the new funding - around £680 million - will be spent on reducing flood risks, including investment in capital projects planned by the EA, local authorities and independent bodies who are responsible for drainage.

Young said of this investment: “Long-term investment in flood risk management is essential if we are to adapt to the global warming that is already locked into the weather system.

“The additional funding will be used to develop flood defences and warning systems and to protect a further 145,000 houses from flooding.”

The increased budget will also help the agency face this year’s new challenges, which include catchment sensitive farming, delivering the Water Framework Directive, and ensuring compliance to EU directives on waste exports, landfill and batteries.

A new waste permit scheme will be implemented next month, which will streamline more than 40 pieces of legislation into a single regime, and will include online interactive services.