Defra announces reforms to flood funding and investment to protect farming communities

Today, Wednesday 13 November 2024, Floods Minister, Emma Hardy, announced at the ADA Flood & Water Conference 2024 that the government is bolstering England’s resilience to flooding through additional financial support to farmers and rural communities, as well as refreshing its approach to delivering funding to make sure it works for communities.

Recognising the significant impact of flooding on farmers, an additional £50 million will be distributed to internal drainage boards (IDBs), the public bodies responsible for managing water levels for communities, agricultural, and environmental needs in a particular lowland area.

This transformational investment will put IDBs on a firm footing to deliver their vital role in flood and water management for years to come. IDBs that submit successful bids will be able to spend the £50 million on projects over the next two years. This will benefit projects that will improve, repair or replace IDB assets – including flood barriers, embankments and maintenance of watercourses. The funding will support projects which reduce risks and impacts from flooding to farmer and rural communities across England. The Environment Agency has begun work with IDBs to distribute the funding from today.

But the government has also committed to going further to protect communities from flooding. The government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. Established in 2011, the existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process, and also neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as nature-based approaches and sustainable drainage.

A consultation will be launched in the new year which will include a review of the existing formula to ensure that the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are adequately taken into account when delivering flood protection.

The government has also today confirmed payments to farmers impacted by last year’s severe weather through the Farming Recovery Fund. A total of £60 million will be distributed to eligible farmers, via recovery payments of between £2,895 and £25,000 to around 13,000 farm businesses. Payments are expected to land in farmers’ accounts from 21 November.

Floods Minister, Emma Hardy said:

“Farmers are the backbone of the nation, with their hard work helping to put food on the family tables across the country. 

“More intense weather events are destroying homes, businesses and livelihoods across the country, with farming communities facing the heaviest consequences.

“That is why this Government is reforming how flood funds are distributed to protect businesses, rural and coastal communities as we invest over £2.4 billion in flood defences across the country.”

The government is investing £2.4 billion until March 2026 to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country, including from coastal erosion, with further decisions for 2026/27 and beyond made at the next Spending Review.

In September, the Secretary of State also convened the first meeting of the new Floods Resilience Taskforce. This brings together representatives from central and local government, Local Resilience Forums, emergency responders and the National Farmers’ Union, among others, to discuss how they will speed up and co-ordinate flooding preparation and resilience.

ADA Chief Executive, Innes Thomson said:

“On behalf of ADA’s members, I am delighted that the Minister has confirmed this vital flood recovery funding for IDBs and especially at ADA’s Flood & Water Conference.

“This will go a long way to ease the pressure on internal drainage boards facing the significant cost burden from last winter’s storms.

“ADA is grateful for not only the political support, but also the dedicated Defra, Environment Agency and IDB officer inputs towards today’s confirmation.”

Notes to editors

• £15 million has already been distributed to IDBs from the first tranche of IDB funding, with a further £10 million expected to be distributed by the end of this year.
• £50 million will be distributed to IDBs from the second tranche of funding. It will be split over two years in order to give IDBs confidence that they will be able to deliver planned projects.
• The Environment Agency will be engaging with IDBs on existing bids for the second tranche and will also be reopening bidding for project ideas that deliver in 2025/26.
• ADA is the membership organisation for drainage, water level and flood risk management authorities throughout the UK.
• Today ADA represents over 230 members nationally, including internal drainage boards, regional flood & coastal committees, local authorities and national agencies, as well our Associate Members who are contractors, consultants and suppliers to the industry.
• ADA’s purpose is to champion and campaign for the sustainable delivery of water level management, offering guidance, advice and support to our members across the UK, and informing the public about our members’ essential work.

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