Environment Agency Presents Recovery and Repair Schemes

The Environment Agency has carried out 16,000 inspections and identified around 660 flood defenses needing repair work in the wake of record-breaking wet weather in December.

The ongoing work to assess and repair flood damage following Storm Desmond and Storm Eva will be outlined at an open Board meeting today, chaired by Acting Chairman Emma Howard Boyd.

Environment Agency flood defenses protected 12,500 properties during Storm Desmond and 10,900 during Storm Eva but more than 20,000 properties flooded as a result of the extreme weather.

“Our teams have worked tirelessly to repair flood defenses and help communities in particular across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire get back on their feet after the terrible flooding we saw over December and January,” said Emma Howard Boyd, the Environment Agency Acting Chairman.

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, added: “Vital flood recovery work is underway across the north of England as Environment Agency teams work to identify repairs and restore protection to communities. We will be using the £40 million provided to us by the government to carry out these vital repairs.”

The ongoing recovery work includes:

• High priority damaged flood assets, such as the banks at Croston and St Michaels in Lancashire, have already been repaired either permanently or on a temporary basis;
• Around 300 Environment Agency staff and contractors are working on recovery;
• Flood Support Officers have visited more than 150 communities.