Extra £40m flood defence cash branded ‘sticking plaster’

An extra £40m to rebuild and improve flood defences in the aftermath of Storm Eva has been described as a “sticking plaster.”

Prime minister David Cameron announced the funding on Sunday (3 January), taking investment in recovery from Storm Eva and Storm Desmond to nearly £200m.

That package is now set to be extended with grants to reimburse fire and rescue authorities, which have incurred excessive costs protecting flooded communities.

See also: Flood recovery fund area and deadline extended

Mr Cameron said: “I have seen at first-hand the devastation caused by flooding – and that’s why this work to repair and improve flood defences is so vital.”

More than £40m would be spent to fix defences overwhelmed by the record rainfall seen in recent weeks and to make them more resilient to further bad weather, he added.

Some £10m of the new funding package would be reserved to improve the Foss Barrier protecting York, which was overwhelmed at the height of Storm Eva.

The other £30m would be spent repairing defences on the rivers Wharfe, Calder, Aire, Ouse and Derwent. It will include repairs to pumping and barriers and clearing blockages.

Further detailed work will be conducted along all rivers affected by Storm Eva – and it is likely the overall bill will top £40m once the full damage is identified.

The announcement of matched funding for charities follows a similar pledge made to community foundations in Cumbria and Lancashire in the aftermath of Storm Desmond, which battered the UK in early December.

But shadow Defra secretary Kerry McCarthy described Mr Cameron’s announcement of an extra £40m as “a short-term, sticking-plaster approach”.

The government’s £40m failed to compensate for past failings on flood defences and the need for broader approach, she said.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron labelled the £40m extra a “short-term fix”.

The MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale was similarly critical of the government’s response when Mr Cameron visited flood-hit York last week.

“The PM pulling on wellies, wading through some water for a photo op does not make people believe he is doing enough,” said Mr Farron.