Almost 62,000 homes and businesses have been better protected from flooding over the last two years as the Environment Agency confirms it has exceeded its two-year property protection target by nearly 10,000.
The Labour government has invested £2.65 billion into flood defences across the country since 2024, repairing and replacing existing defences and constructing new ones.
With over 250 projects now completed, stronger protection has been delivered for over 60,000 properties across England, including over 2,000 in Portsmouth, well above the original goal of 52,000.
These new and improved defences have come online throughout the last two years and will help to prevent an estimated £10 billion in economic damage as they provide communities with better protection, restore pride in our towns and defend valuable farmland from being regularly flooded.
This announcement follows the Government building on existing investment by allocating over £17 million for schemes in Portsmouth. This includes through repairs to Farlington Marshes embankment to the Southsea coastal flood and erosion risk management scheme.
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Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“Flooding and coastal erosion pose great risks to lives, livelihoods and wellbeing in our city which is why it is welcome to know that Labour has protected more than 10,000 additional properties beyond the Government’s original plan, including over 2,000 homes here in Portsmouth.
“With the Southsea Coastal Scheme coming along so well, it makes a real difference to have a government prioritising protecting our precious environment and our flooding concerns.
This is more than a statistic, it is people’s homes and livelihoods and that’s why I will continue to take action to ensure our city gets the investment it deserves to protect our future”.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:
“Flooding is life-changing – destroying homes, shutting down businesses and leaving communities facing months of heartbreak.
“This Government has invested a record £2.65 billion to repair flood defences and build new ones. After we inherited defences left in tatters, our investment is paying off, with almost 62,000 homes and businesses better protected from flooding and a further 840,000 properties on course to benefit by 2036.”
