I am today updating the House on the Environment Agency’s review of the statutory flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy for England.

The current strategy, published in 2020, sets the long-term direction for managing flood and coastal erosion risk. Since then, our understanding of flood and coastal erosion risk has developed, which includes increasing recognition of the risk of surface water flooding.

This Government have also delivered significant changes to strengthen our national resilience to flood and coastal erosion risks. These include major changes to flood and coastal erosion funding rules to make it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places; the publication of the water White Paper, which sets out once-in-a-generation reforms that will transform the water system; and the UK resilience action plan, which sets priorities to strengthen resilience across society.

It is important that the updated strategy reflects the Government policy priorities to ensure that delivery is aligned with Government objectives. It must deliver and enable real improvements in protection and resilience for people and communities at risk of flooding and coastal erosion. I have, therefore, written to the chair of the Environment Agency, as the statutory body responsible for the strategy, to set out the Government priorities for the review. I have asked that the strategy should:

Recognise that deprived communities are more likely to face flood risk and coastal erosion, as well as face bigger challenges in recovery;

Reflect the latest evidence and learning on approaches to engaging the public in taking action to improve community resilience to flooding and coastal change as well as reflect best practice from community-voluntary groups in flood preparedness;

Reflect the ongoing work of the floods resilience taskforce to improve communications and co-ordination around flood preparedness and response;

Implement the Government’s updated flood funding policy to deliver a broad range of projects, including rebalancing investment towards capital and routine maintenance, repair and refurbishment, natural flood management and property level measures, and focusing investment decisions around value for money, continuing to seek partnership funding to make every pound of taxpayer funding go further;

Aim to define what good flood and coastal resilience looks like by setting out long-term strategic objectives and shorter-term measures, which should include exploring how a measure of national flood resilience could be developed over the longer term;

Provide strategic direction in support of lead local flood authorities to manage surface water flood risk including local skills and capability building, and supporting greater take up of surface water flood risk projects;

Align with latest Government policy on matters relating to water and English devolution such as the published water White Paper and the Government commitment to reorganising local government and supporting mayoral combined authorities, in particular taking into consideration the proposals for regional water planning to improve joined-up local decision making and delivery;

Reflect and showcase the learning and successes of long-term, place-based, integrated planning—such as “Thames Estuary 2100” and “Humber Estuary 2100”—with a view to embedding these approaches where they support Government priorities, notably growth, and deliver multiple benefits for flood, water and other outcomes;

Actively support the recommendations from the flood-ready review to encourage greater take-up of property flood resilience;

Consider the right long-term approaches to manage rural flood resilience, including a more sustainable approach to asset management;

Support the updating and implementation of shoreline management plans to inform investment and planning decisions over the long term, including the mainstreaming of innovative measures to adapt to coastal erosion;

Identify improvements to flood and coastal risk modelling and mapping, including sharing of flood depth information, to inform policymakers and practitioners in risk management authorities;

Explore ways to better assess the wider impacts of flood events on people, businesses, infrastructure and agriculture.

The Environment Agency will continue to engage with flood risk management authorities, local partners and stakeholders as the review progresses. I will ensure the House is kept informed at appropriate stages, including following public consultation on the updated strategy.

This work will help to ensure that the strategy continues to provide clear and effective direction for managing flood and coastal erosion risk, supporting communities, and preparing the country for the challenges ahead in a changing climate.

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