Flood-hit county to get £89m from government

A flood-hit county will receive £89.9m from the government to spend on prevention measures, which the Environment Agency says will help protect homes and businesses.

The money for Somerset was announced as part of a national 2026/27 funding round for new and upgraded flood defence schemes.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said she "fully recognised what a difficult, difficult winter" it had been for Somerset.

Ian Withers, the Environment Agency area director for Wessex, said: "This isn't just funding, it's reassurance that we are committed to protecting the places people live, work and depend on."

Withers said recent storms had been "a reminder of just how real and persistent flood risk is for people in this region".

A major incident was declared in January, with schools closed and homes evacuated due to flooding after prolonged rain.

Hardy visited the county during the worst of this year's flooding and promised not to "give up" on helping residents.

Last month the government confirmed a review was under way to decide if installing pumps all year round could help prevent future floods in Somerset.

At the time Hardy said: "The review will look at several important questions: when pumps should be activated, whether the current trigger points are right and whether permanent pumps in certain locations could present better value for money in the long term."

Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset to announce the new round of funding, she said conversations about new pumps were "ongoing and separate to the projects announced today".

She said residents should get an answer "in the next few weeks" on whether more permanent pumps would be installed.

The £89m will fund 15 projects in the county with the biggest investment being £59m towards the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, which is currently under construction across the River Parrett.

The barrier is designed to help protect 11,300 homes and 1,500 businesses in Bridgwater and nearby communities from tidal flooding from the Bristol Channel.

The Environment Agency said work on the barrier was continuing "at pace" though it also confirmed the project timelines, scales and costs were currently under review.

Other schemes receiving a share of the funding include £6.1m for a Somerset Levels and Moors pump replacement programme and £6.6m for low-risk trash screens, which reduce debris getting into waterways and blocking culverts.

Somerset resident Andrea Hine, who has lived in Fordgate on the Levels for thirty years, is concerned about new homes being built in the county which she said could increase the risk of flooding in her area.

"It's horrible to see neighbours displaced and families affected by the emotional and physical upheaval bought on because of flooding," she said.

Hine recently asked the local council to reject or put on hold any major planning applications as she was worried they could make flooding worse.

In response, Hardy told BBC Radio Somerset she wanted to see new homes being built "in a way that doesn't cause those homes to be flooded but also really, really importantly doesn't cause flooding for other areas around where those homes are being built".

She said the National Planning Policy Framework took flood risk into account including measures such as SuDS - sustainable drainage systems - which control the flow of water away from developments.

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