More cash demanded to help fight future floods

Jan 24 2009 By William Green, The Journal

MINISTERS were warned last night of more flooding unless extra cash is spent on defences as it emerged the latest Government scheme is protecting a tiny proportion of homes in the region.

Hundreds of people were forced from their homes when flooding hit Morpeth last September. Newcastle City Council leader Coun John Shipley is warning the situation could be replayed across the region unless the Government deals with inadequate funding for flood defences in the face of climate change.

The stark message came as The Journal discovered just 88 homes in Tyne and Wear will benefit from a Government decision to bring forward £20m of national spending on flood defences by a year.

Fifteen properties will benefit on Newcastle Quayside with 73 in Blackhall Mill but no homes in Northumberland or County Durham, according to a Government document.

Monitoring of cliff erosion in Cambois, Northumberland, will go ahead and 351 homes on Teesside will benefit from flood defence work. But thousands of homes in the North West, South and South East will get protection sooner. The news also prompted questions about how quickly flood defences for Morpeth are progressing, although the Environment Agency said planning had been accelerated by four months with work to start in 2011.

A spokeswoman said projects progressed in phases and could not be brought forward if design work had not yet been completed, for example.

But Coun Shipley said: "We need much clearer leadership and we need extra funding because otherwise the problems are simply going to get worse. The idea that last September was a one-off that won’t occur for another 50 years is mistaken."

The Liberal Democrat said insufficient money was being given to councils as they prepare to take lead role in co-ordinating responses to local flooding following a Government review into previous clear-ups.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has allocated £15m to support councils in their new role and the first six most "at-risk’’ authorities in Yorkshire, Cheshire, London, Berkshire and Gloucestershire have been handed £50,000 each.

Coun Shipley also attacked as insufficient a £5m scheme to help individual households install solid flooring and move electrics to reduce the impact of flooding. Councils will bid for cash from the Environment Agency expected to be available up to 2010.

Northumberland County Council leader Coun Jeff Reid said: "If they were going to bring money forward, I am disappointed that Morpeth wasn’t included."

Sir Alan Beith, Lib Dem MP for Berwick, said: "There will be a lot of work to be done in Northumberland, particularly in Morpeth, along the Coquet and at Ingram. Money will be needed for those schemes as well."

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