'Flooding causes mental and financial distress for residents' - South Shropshire MP welcomes review of funding formulas

In a letter to South Shropshire MP Stuart Anderson, the Minister for Flooding and Water Emma Hardy MP said a consultation will be launched in the "coming months" to review funding formulas.

It comes after Mr Anderson has raised concerns about the Flooding Recovery Framework (FRF) and called for the Government to improve the 'financial assistance' available for flood-hit communities. 

After funding formulas were revised to mean that support is only activated if a local authority reports internal flooding at 50 properties, Mr Anderson said local authorities in areas where the threshold is not met have to front the costs of recovery support themselves.

He said this formula does not "adequately help" rural communities where properties may be located a large distance from one another and where flooding crosses council boundaries. 

Mr Anderson has called for formulas to "better consider" river systems and catchment areas.

His call comes after the Government announced a £2.65 billion boost over two years for flood defence projects nationwide which includes nearly £5 million for flood management schemes in South Shropshire. 

Funding will go towards property resilience schemes in Culmington, Bridgnorth, and Bucknell while the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme will receive nearly £2m and a demonstrator project' to test nature-based solutions at Attingham Park has also received a cash injection.

In her letter to Mr Anderson, Emma Hardy MP said the review will "specifically consider" the challenges faced by businesses and rural and coastal communities in accessing flood protection. 

South Shropshire MP, Stuart Anderson said: "Flooding causes both mental and financial distress for residents across South Shropshire, costing farmers alone £1 billion just last year. 

"Support is only activated once fifty properties have been impacted. This means that smaller and more isolated rural communities often lose out on financial assistance, as there are fewer properties at greater distances from each other. 

"I am pleased that we have secured almost £5 million for local areas including Culmington, Bridgnorth, and Bucknell. I also welcome that Ministers have accepted my request to consult on improving the funding mechanism to deliver more effective flooding support in the longer-term."