ABI-led campaign calls for £1bn per annum to keep pace with climate change
George Osborne has been urged to invest £1bn per annum in flood defences in tomorrow’s Budget by an ABI-led campaign.
The Flood Free Homes campaign, which has been launched by the ABI, has called on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to increase flood defence spending to keep pace with climate change.
The coalition, which also includes Friends of the Earth and the National Flood Forum, calculates that a decline in defence spending since 2010 has opened up a £500m shortfall between current investment and the level needed to tackle the problem.
Louise Hanson, Director of Advocacy at the ABI, said: “The UK’s increasing flood risk must be a national priority if we are to protect our communities who live in constant fear of flooding. It is vital that we have political consensus on how we manage our land and water in order to have the ambitious long-term solutions we need to effectively manage flood risk. We need a co-ordinated approach to flood defence investment, much more than just ad hoc one-off payments.”
The campaign has also called for a zero tolerance of inappropriate new developments in areas at risk of flooding.
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