The government has today (13 November) announced plans to reform the funding of flood risk management, alongside a review of the existing formula to ensure it addresses the flood protection challenges of businesses, and rural and coastal communities.

In response Professor Jim Hall, Commissioner at the National infrastructure Commission, said:

“We welcome government’s commitment to adopt a new approach to allocating floods funding, one that offers greater transparency to communities at risk, improves value for money and enables the use of more nature-based flood management solutions, in line with existing Commission recommendations. This change is an important step forward in the creation of a long term strategy for flood risk management.”

The Commission’s second National Infrastructure Assessment published in 2023 set out a recommendation for government to set a long term, measurable target to reduce the number of properties likely to be flooded by rivers or the sea; in setting and delivering that target, it should invest in line with the profile set out by the Commission, maximise the use of nature-based and catchment solutions and adequately fund wider resilience measures, among other measures.