The government is implementing a new £25 Million Natural Flood Management Programme to enhance the UK’s flood resilience through natural flood management techniques. The programme is an extension of the £15 million natural flood management pilot scheme, which ran until 2021 and successfully reduced the flood risk to 15,000 homes.
The Environment Agency will manage the new £25 million programme, which will deliver until March 2027. The announcement was made following a wide range of applications submitted to the Environment Agency by community groups, environmental charities, and councils for grants. These applications were received in response to the launch of the largest-ever investment in natural flood management schemes in September 2020. The Environment Agency, along with input from Defra and Natural England, reviewed these applications. Selected projects include the Severn Rivers Trust in the West Midlands and The Ribble Rivers Trust in Darwen. The programme aims to help achieve the goals of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England, the Government Policy Statement on Flood and Coastal Erosion Management, and the Environmental Improvement Plan. This combination provides a long-term vision for better protecting and preparing homes and businesses from flooding and coastal change while creating climate resilience by recognising the invaluable role of nature in mitigating and adapting to climate change using nature-based solutions.