Councillors have voiced concerns about taxpayers coughing up more for flood protection.
Aftermath of flooding from Storm Goretti (Image: Getty)
Taxpayers could be forced to pay more to cover costs of flood protection, councillors have warned.
The Environment Agency will end its funding for the maintenance of some areas’ flood defences in April.
But the District Councils’ Network (DCN) warned this will force councils to pick up the tab for work to keep river courses free from obstruction.
It said floods could hit smaller villages, make roads impassable, devastate local economies, impact agriculture and damage the local environment unless local taxpayers fund the work.
Councillor Paul Redgate, chair of the Internal Drainage Boards Interest Group, said: “The withdrawal of funding for so many stretches of river amounts to cost-shunting from central government to already squeezed local taxpayers.
“If you are unfortunate enough to live in an area susceptible to floods you already face higher council tax and insurance bills – and Environment Agency cuts are going to hit you even harder. They’ll increase the likelihood of maximum council tax rises and force councils to shift spending away from other essential local services.
“Just to reassure everyone in our local community, we know how devastating flooding can be and, along with our partners, we will always seek to best protect communities, but this will mean less money available for other essential local services.
“We urge the Government to step in and provide extra funding for communities which, through no fault of their own, face growing risk of floods. The alternative could be catastrophic flooding and economic devastation. It’s a matter of fairness and common sense.”
Flood protection is done by England’s 112 internal drainage boards (IDBs) which are funded through levies on council tax payers and on the owners of property including agricultural land.
Special levies paid by local taxpayers to IDBs have risen by 32% to £52.4million each year in the four years to 2025-26.
The DCN said that although the Government has provided £5 million to the councils most impacted for the current financial year, this is “insufficient” to keep up with rising costs and councils say the sum needs to be significantly increased.
An Enivornment Agency spokesman said: “The Environment Agency has a strong track record in bolstering the nation’s flood resilience – with more than 400,000 properties protected by new defences since 2015.
“We prioritise our funding rigorously, focusing on areas which deliver the greatest overall benefits for people and property.”
