Ministers poised to boost UK’s battered sea defences

Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis said his colleagues at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) “will be addressing the matter of sea defences” in a report to Parliament in the coming weeks.

The Government is desperate to be seen to be doing all it can to support local areas hit by flooding, following stinging criticism of the long-standing Bellwin Scheme designed to offer compensation to flood-hit local authorities.

The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that the whole of North Yorkshire received just £900 from the Bellwin Scheme following the 2012 floods. The scheme will only pay out over a minimum threshold, and does not cover the cost of repairs to key infrastructure such as houses, roads or bridges damaged by flooding.

Last week the Government announced an extra £7m funding for house and road repairs in the wake of the recent floods, and Mr Lewis made clear yesterday he will be speaking with every local authority personally to ensure they receive the support they need.

“I am at the moment inviting local council leaders from across the country whose areas have been affected by flooding to meet me,” he told the Commons.

But Tory MP Peter Aldous said it was vital funding also be made available to repair sea defences.

“Repairs to sea defences were badly damaged in the storm surge,” he said. “They are not automatically covered by the Bellwin Scheme.”

And Mr Lewis insisted the issue will be addressed by Defra in the weeks to come.

“The Bellwin Scheme is only one part of the funding available for various issues from which areas affected by flooding will suffer,” he said.

“I am pleased to say that Defra will be addressing the matter of sea defences in a report to Parliament in the next few weeks, as 
the Environment Agency’s 
(repair) programme moves forward.”