The government has announced a £50 million investment aimed at enhancing flood resilience for rural communities and farmers in England. This funding will support internal drainage boards (IDBs) across the country, bolstering flood management infrastructure and preparing rural areas for increasingly severe weather. Floods Minister Emma Hardy revealed the plans on Wednesday, confirming that the funding is part of a broader commitment to adapt flood protection efforts in response to the unique challenges faced by farmers and rural regions.
The investment is set to reinforce IDBs, public bodies responsible for regulating water levels in agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas. The funding will enable IDBs to enhance, repair, or replace flood management infrastructure such as barriers, embankments, and drainage channels. IDBs across England can submit proposals to access a share of the £50 million, with successful bids going towards projects that reduce the risk and impact of flooding on farming communities. This initiative aims to ensure that the IDBs have the resources necessary to fulfil their role in flood and water management for years to come.
Alongside the new funding for IDBs, the government is committed to re-evaluating the current flood defence funding system to better meet the needs of communities affected by flooding. Established in 2011, the existing funding formula has been criticised for its slow application process and its limited flexibility in supporting nature-based and sustainable drainage solutions. The government plans to launch a consultation in the new year to explore potential improvements to the funding structure, prioritising solutions that consider the unique flood challenges faced by rural and coastal areas.
The announcement follows a year marked by intense weather events that severely impacted farmers and rural communities across England. In response to last year’s extreme conditions, the government has also confirmed that payments from the Farming Recovery Fund will begin this month. The fund will distribute £60 million in total, offering recovery payments between £2,895 and £25,000 to approximately 13,000 farm businesses. These payments, aimed at helping farmers recover from the financial impact of severe weather, are expected to reach eligible accounts starting 21 November.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy highlighted the vital role farmers play in the country’s food supply chain and underscored the need for adequate flood protection to support their work. “Farmers are the backbone of the nation, with their hard work helping to put food on the family tables across the country,” she said. “More intense weather events are destroying homes, businesses and livelihoods, with farming communities facing the heaviest consequences.”
Hardy further emphasised the government’s long-term flood resilience goals, including a £2.4 billion investment to enhance flood defences and coastal protection across England. This funding, committed until March 2026, will support efforts to address the growing threat of coastal erosion and flooding. Additional plans for flood defence funding beyond 2026 will be outlined in the next Spending Review.
To streamline flood response efforts, the government recently convened a new Floods Resilience Taskforce. Led by the Secretary of State, the taskforce includes representatives from central and local governments, Local Resilience Forums, emergency responders, and the National Farmers Union. The group will focus on accelerating flood preparation and resilience initiatives to protect at-risk communities.
These measures reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to safeguard rural England from flooding, ensuring that communities can better withstand the increasingly severe weather patterns affecting the nation.