Flood cash won't help rural areas (From Salisbury Journal)

Flood cash won't help rural areas

12:12pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in Rural Focus By Anne Perks

THE CLA has claimed Defra’s £2.3 billion investment in flood risk management continues to discriminate against rural areas at risk of flooding.

The association said many rural areas would see little benefit from the new partnership funding approach under the capital budget. It believes savage cuts to the Environment Agency’s ( maintenance budget of £50 million would mean more areas would be at risk of flooding.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said the partnership funding approach was “a clear success, bringing in £148m on top of our £2.3bn investment so more flood defences can be built”.

But CLA president Harry Cotterell said: “Placing limited value on agricultural land and buildings compared to more urban residential properties limits the scope for rural flood defence projects to achieve favourable cost benefit outcomes. The Government must redress the balance by reviewing the process.”