Government's spending review on flood defence funding a positive says Herefordshire flood campaigner
The government announced on Wednesday in its spending review it would commit £4.2 billion from 2026 to 2029 to build and maintain flood defences
A Herefordshire flood campaigner says she welcomes the government's decision to commit funding over three years to help with flooding.
The government announced in its spending review on Wednesday (11 June) it would 'prioritise' progress on its growth mission by committing £4.2 billion over three years (2026-27 to 2028-29) to build and maintain flood defences.
It added this would protect communities across England from the dangers of flooding.
Mary Long-Dhonau has worked across Herefordshire and nationally to make people aware of how they can stay safe from flooding while calling for more to be done to protect people.
She says the news is a positive but she still wants more action and help put in place to support those at risk of flooding.
"I am delighted to see there was an increase in the allocated flood defence budget which was unexpected due to the broader financial pressures the government is facing," she said.
"However, this still isn't enough, if we are to keep ahead of the challenges climate change poses we should see a year-on-year increase in the flood defence budget.
"The chancellor needs to keep her eye on the ball, because we cannot lose this battle."
In March this year the government and Environment Agency (EA) announced over 1,000 flood schemes will be built or repaired to protect thousands of homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding.
Investing £2.65 billion over two years towards the construction of new flood schemes and the repair and maintenance of existing ones was also confirmed at the same time.