Almost 62,000 homes and businesses have been better protected from flooding over the last two years as the Environment Agency today (Wednesday 15 April) confirmed it has exceeded its two-year property protection target by nearly 10,000.
Labour has invested £2.65 billion into flood defences since 2024, repairing and replacing existing defences and constructing new ones. With over 250 projects now completed, stronger protection has been delivered for over 60,000 properties across England – well above the original goal of 52,000.
These new and improved defences have come online throughout the last two years and will help to prevent an estimated £10 billion in economic damage as they provide communities with better protection, restore pride in our towns and defend valuable farmland from being regularly flooded.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said: “Flooding is life-changing – destroying homes, shutting down businesses and leaving communities facing months of heartbreak.
“This Government has invested a record £2.65 billion to repair flood defences and build new ones. After we inherited defences left in tatters, our investment is paying off, with almost 62,000 homes and businesses better protected from flooding and a further 840,000 properties on course to benefit by 2036.”
Amanda Martin MP for Portsmouth North said: “It is great to see that Labour has protected more than 10,000 additional properties beyond the original plan, including 285 in Portsmouth North.
“After years of underinvestment, it makes a real difference to have a government prioritising this issue. This is more than a statistic, it is people’s homes and livelihoods”
