Environment Agency Response to Welsh Government Announcement on Additional Flood Defences.

Chris Mills, Director Environment Agency Wales, has today welcomed the announcement by Welsh Government of additional funding to reduce flood risk.

He said:

“Last year was exceptionally difficult for many communities who suffered due to the floods. This important announcement will mean we can do more work to reduce the risk of flooding for more homes.

“We estimate that we will need to treble the amount spent on flood defences by 2035 to maintain the current level of flood protection. This is why we are exploring new sources of money to complement the funding we get from Welsh Government.

“We are doing all we can to reduce the risk of flooding, but we are urging people to find out if they are at risk so they can prepare their homes and communities if the worst was to happen.”

The Environment Agency claim that the funding will be spent on reducing the risk of flooding to more than 650 homes and 450 businesses in Wales and that since the turn of the century, Environment Agency Wales has more than doubled the amount of money they spend on flooding in Wales.  They also state that in the last four years, the Agency has reduced the risk of flooding for more than 16,000 homes in Wales.

If you want to check your property’s risk of flooding visit the following website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk