£40m boost for flood defence schemes

River Severn Partnership has secured around £40 million to progress flood defence in a multi-billion pound national investment, according to the Environment Agency.

The government announcement, which included £200 million for innovative projects and £170 million for accelerated flood defence schemes, comes as welcome news to the partnership and its ambition to make the Severn river network the most vibrant and resilient in Britain, reported the EA.

The River Severn Partnership, formed in September 2019, brings together the Environment Agency, local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, Severn Trent Water, Water Resources West, Natural Resources Wales, wildlife trusts and others to establish a strategy for adapting to climate change and to improve resilience across an area which covers the Rivers Severn, Teme, Warwickshire Avon and the Wye.

In the release, the EA said that around £35 million will be used to accelerate delivery of schemes to manage flood risk, including Tenbury Wells.

Alongside scheme delivery a further £1.5 million was secured by the Partnership in recognition of the innovative action it is seeking to take to build resilience.