DEFRA Cuts Threaten Upton Flood Defences

12.10.04pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 4th Aug 2006

Cuts in flood defence funding have raised a question mark over the Upton upon Severn scheme.

Environment Agency plans for temporary flood defences in Upton, due to be trialed next month, were placed in jeopardy this week as the Government announced swingeing cuts of nearly £200 million to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs budget over the next six months.

Some of the worst cuts are expected to be borne by the Environment Agency, which is being asked to save £14.9million on flood defences and £9million on environmental projects.

Richard Burt, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for West Worcestershire, said: "I am very concerned that the expected cut in flood defence budgets could put the future of essential temporary flood defences in Upton-upon-Severn in jeopardy.

"Trials are due to take place next month, but bearing in mind that government is seeking nearly £15million saving in flood defences alone, I have written seeking urgent reassurances from the Environment Agency that the trials will go ahead and that enough money will be available to deploy the barriers should Upton be threatened by flooding this winter.

"These cuts have come out of the blue as a result of former Defra Minister Margaret Beckett's mishandling of the Single Farm Payment. She has left the department in chaos with a huge overspend in administrative costs, late payments to farmers and a massive budget miscalculations. Now the government is showing nothing but contempt for rural communities, the environment and those most vulnerable to flooding, who will all have to pay for Mrs Beckett's mistakes."

Richard has written to Anthony Perry, the Environment Agency's Flood Risk Manager for the Lower Severn, and to Sarah Nason, Head of DEFRA Flood Defences, seeking reassurances that the flood defence trials scheduled for Upton will go ahead as planned, and that money will be available to deploy the barriers against flooding if required this winter.