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Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Environment Agency are reforming flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) strategy to better account for non-monetised benefits and long-term coastal change risks in funding and planning decisions. Current policy relies on narrow benefit assessments that overlook wider impacts on coastal communities, and Shoreline Management Plans are not consistently integrated with Local Plans. The government intends to incorporate broader benefits into the 2026 prioritisation process and establish a national strategy for coastal property assistance by March 2027.

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2026

9 events
27 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that households in high flood risk areas are proactively informed about the Flood R

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that households in high flood risk areas are proactively informed about the Flood Re scheme; and what responsibilities insurers, local …

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

Defra should, in its response to this report, set out how it recognises and incorporates the full range of human impacts of coastal erosion into policy development and funding decisions, including clear actions or criteria for doing so. It should also provide a defined approach to community engagement that details how affected individuals and communities will be identified, involved, and consulted throughout coastal management policymaking. (Recommendation, Paragraph 8) Properties, insurance ...

Defra should, in its response to this report, set out how it recognises and incorporates the full range of human impacts of coastal erosion into policy development and funding decisions, including clear actions or criteria for doing so. It should …

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

Defra should work with insurers to commission a review into feasibility of implementing a Flood Re-like Government-backed insurance product for coastal erosion and landslides. (Recommendation, Paragraph 20)

Defra should work with insurers to commission a review into feasibility of implementing a Flood Re-like Government-backed insurance product for coastal erosion and landslides. (Recommendation, Paragraph 20) Type: conclusion | Number: 6 | Response status: response_pending

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

Defra should commit to reviewing the current 2009 property purchase qualifying date and value of the Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant (CEAG) and, by June 2026, launch a structured assessment of whether this threshold and available grant remain justified. This review should examine evidence on historic and ongoing shortcomings in coastalerosion risk communication, alongside updated projections of climatedriven changes in erosion rates and associated property exposure, and true costs of demolit...

Defra should commit to reviewing the current 2009 property purchase qualifying date and value of the Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant (CEAG) and, by June 2026, launch a structured assessment of whether this threshold and available grant remain justified. This review …

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

When the CTAP pilot concludes in 2027, Defra should move away from a selective piloting approach. In its response to this report, it should commit to establishing a longterm national strategy that provides financial assistance and relocation support for properties at risk of coastal change. This strategy should be in place no later than March

When the CTAP pilot concludes in 2027, Defra should move away from a selective piloting approach. In its response to this report, it should commit to establishing a longterm national strategy that provides financial assistance and relocation support for properties …

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) are not consistently integrated into Local Plans, resulting in planning decisions that do not account for future coastalchange risks. The mismatch between Local Plan timescales and the longerterm horizons of SMPs could lead to developments being approved in areas that are not expected to remain protected, creating avoidable future risk for communities and infrastructure. (Conclusion, Paragraph 36)

Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) are not consistently integrated into Local Plans, resulting in planning decisions that do not account for future coastalchange risks. The mismatch between Local Plan timescales and the longerterm horizons of SMPs could lead to developments being …

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

Past FCERM funding arrangements have limited support for coastal management by relying on narrow benefit assessments that overlook wider, nonmonetised risks from coastal erosion and the existential pressures facing coastal communities and industries. We welcome the Government’s intention to incorporate broader nonmonetised benefits into the prioritisation process from 2026. However, it remains unclear how these benefits will be defined, how the strategic priorities will apply to coastal erosi...

Past FCERM funding arrangements have limited support for coastal management by relying on narrow benefit assessments that overlook wider, nonmonetised risks from coastal erosion and the existential pressures facing coastal communities and industries. We welcome the Government’s intention to incorpor

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20 Mar 2026 | Committee report linked

In its response, Defra should provide a plan setting out how wider nonmonetised benefits for coastal erosion projects will be incorporated into the reformed FCERM funding model. This plan should: 22 a. Specify the benefits to be included in the 2026 FCERM prioritisation process and provide the methodology for assessing them. b. Commission independent research to determine the health cost of coastal erosion, to ensure parity with existing flooding assessments. c. Explain how benefits that are ...

In its response, Defra should provide a plan setting out how wider nonmonetised benefits for coastal erosion projects will be incorporated into the reformed FCERM funding model. This plan should: 22 a. Specify the benefits to be included in the …

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2025

2 events
17 Jan 2025 | Committee report linked

The Department acknowledged that the succession of short-term funding allocations may have driven local authorities to be more reactive.44 However, the Department believes that local authorities treat the funding from the Department as a single source and are not concerned about the specific funding pot the money came from.45 The Department also told us that it is in the process of considering what future funding arrangements may look like as part of the spending review, in the context of int...

The Department acknowledged that the succession of short-term funding allocations may have driven local authorities to be more reactive.44 However, the Department believes that local authorities treat the funding from the Department as a single source and are not concerned …

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17 Jan 2025 | Committee report linked

The Department told us that Ministers are considering a review of the Code of Practice as it considers there to be value in doing so, even though it will be major task to update the more than 260-page document. The Department acknowledged that there are gaps in the current Code of Practice that would need to be addressed, including in areas such as new technologies for assessing conditions and repairing potholes and climate adaptation.72 For example, the Road Surface Treatments Association se...

The Department told us that Ministers are considering a review of the Code of Practice as it considers there to be value in doing so, even though it will be major task to update the more than 260-page document. The …

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2024

10 events
9 Feb 2024 | Committee report linked

While the strategy has a 10-year timescale to achieve its intended outcomes, its funding allocations are restricted to government Spending Review periods, typically for two to four years.42 When asked about how they could provide greater assurance to local bodies on longer-term funding, departments told us they were unable to do this because “that is not how spending reviews work” and that the existence of a 10-year strategy “was the best reassurance that we can give”.43 Ms Wiseman told us th...

While the strategy has a 10-year timescale to achieve its intended outcomes, its funding allocations are restricted to government Spending Review periods, typically for two to four years.42 When asked about how they could provide greater assurance to local bodies …

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31 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

We commend the UK Government on being among the first signatories of the Global Cooling Pledge, which represents a significant step forward in terms of heat resilience and sustainable cooling, and is a welcome demonstration of international leadership in this area. In particular we note the commitment under the GCP to produce a national cooling action plan. We hope our inquiry and the findings set out in this report assist in shaping what this looks like and we remain keen to continue to work...

We commend the UK Government on being among the first signatories of the Global Cooling Pledge, which represents a significant step forward in terms of heat resilience and sustainable cooling, and is a welcome demonstration of international leadership in this …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

Defra has not established what the appropriate balance is between building new defences and maintaining existing ones. The Agency is responsible for maintaining its existing assets and has assessed that optimal value for money is achieved when 98% of its high consequence assets are maintained at their required condition. A lack of funding means the Agency has not been able to maintain assets at this level. 203,000 properties are at increased risk because assets are below their required condit...

Defra has not established what the appropriate balance is between building new defences and maintaining existing ones. The Agency is responsible for maintaining its existing assets and has assessed that optimal value for money is achieved when 98% of its …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

The Agency is responsible for maintaining existing flood defence assets that it owns. Its modelling showed that it is best value for money to have 98% of its high consequence assets at required condition. Timely maintenance is important because if an asset fails it is then more expensive to repair.10 The Agency divides flood defence assets into high, medium and low consequence asset systems depending on the number of properties they work together to protect, with high consequence systems prot...

The Agency is responsible for maintaining existing flood defence assets that it owns. Its modelling showed that it is best value for money to have 98% of its high consequence assets at required condition. Timely maintenance is important because if …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

Maintaining assets at the required condition needs funding: in preparing for the 2021 Spending Review, the Agency estimated it needed funding of £235 million a year to keep 98% of its assets at their required condition. Defra decided not to fund the Agency to maintain assets to 98%, instead it set the Agency’s maintenance funding at £201 million which should have allowed it to maintain 94.5% of these assets at required condition.12 The Agency told us it prioritises maintenance of assets based...

Maintaining assets at the required condition needs funding: in preparing for the 2021 Spending Review, the Agency estimated it needed funding of £235 million a year to keep 98% of its assets at their required condition. Defra decided not to …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

The Agency has not been able to reach even the 94.5% level. In summer 2023, only 93.5% of the Agency’s high consequence assets were at the required condition.14 203,000 7 Q 65; C&AG’s Report, para 11 8 Q 65 9 C&AG’s Report, paras 6, 1.8 10 Q 43 11 C&AG’s Report, footnotes 2 & 3 12 Q 51 13 Q 43 14 C&AG’s Report, para 22 Resilience to fooding 11 properties are at increased risk of flooding because of the assets which are below required condition.15 The Agency explained that inflation affects ma...

The Agency has not been able to reach even the 94.5% level. In summer 2023, only 93.5% of the Agency’s high consequence assets were at the required condition.14 203,000 7 Q 65; C&AG’s Report, para 11 8 Q 65 9 …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

HM Treasury gives departments some flexibility to switch money between the capital programme and maintenance funding, for example if capital spending is delayed. Because of the slow start to the capital programme, the Agency spent £310 million less than planned in the first two years. Defra and the Agency did not assess the value for money of using part of this underspend to meet the shortfall in its maintenance budget. Instead, they deferred the spending to the last few years of the capital ...

HM Treasury gives departments some flexibility to switch money between the capital programme and maintenance funding, for example if capital spending is delayed. Because of the slow start to the capital programme, the Agency spent £310 million less than planned …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

When the six-year £5.2 billion capital programme to build new flood defence assets was launched in 2020, the government committed to provide better protection for 336,000 properties by 2027 by investing £5.2 billion in new flood defence projects.35 The programme got off to a slow start and the Agency did not spend £310 million of its funding in the first two years of the programme. Reasons for the slow start include inflation, capacity and Covid, as well as completing projects from the previo...

When the six-year £5.2 billion capital programme to build new flood defence assets was launched in 2020, the government committed to provide better protection for 336,000 properties by 2027 by investing £5.2 billion in new flood defence projects.35 The programme …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

The Agency’s current forecast is that these 1,500 projects will provide better protection to 200,000 properties by the end of the programme, a reduction of 40% on the original commitment of 336,000. Defra is yet to agree with HM Treasury the formal reset of the programme and there are factors which could reduce the forecast further:38 a) To reach the forecast of 200,000 properties better protected, the Agency will rely on projects for which it has low or medium confidence of delivering.39 b) ...

The Agency’s current forecast is that these 1,500 projects will provide better protection to 200,000 properties by the end of the programme, a reduction of 40% on the original commitment of 336,000. Defra is yet to agree with HM Treasury …

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17 Jan 2024 | Committee report linked

Some parts of the country may have lost out on funding from the programme because they were less able to secure partnership funding.49 In February 2021, we recommended Defra and the Agency should identify areas where there is likely to be a shortfall in local authority resources and private sector contributions.50 Defra undertook to do this by July 2021, but has still not done so.51 Defra is using some of the capital programme funding to mitigate the risk that flood schemes do not progress du...

Some parts of the country may have lost out on funding from the programme because they were less able to secure partnership funding.49 In February 2021, we recommended Defra and the Agency should identify areas where there is likely to …

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2023

5 events
6 Sep 2023 | Committee report linked

Focusing on the future, we were keen to understand whether the lessons learned from the pandemic were being turned into plans that could be safely stored and, if necessary, taken off the shelf to help in a future emergency.66 This committee has commented before on the impact that staff turnover has on skills and experience in key departments. Three of our four witnesses had not been in post at the start of the pandemic, and one of the two departments giving evidence to us was a recent product...

Focusing on the future, we were keen to understand whether the lessons learned from the pandemic were being turned into plans that could be safely stored and, if necessary, taken off the shelf to help in a future emergency.66 This …

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18 May 2023 | Committee report linked

Crisis events can have short- and long-term effects on people’s mental health, but civil society groups told us NHS support is minimal or short-term, despite greater support being likely to help people deal more successfully with trauma. Rural health providers suggested only limited local planning takes place with no extra resources being available, while NHS England suggested more funding could be made available. An ICS told us much work is underway to plan for crisis events. NHS England was...

Crisis events can have short- and long-term effects on people’s mental health, but civil society groups told us NHS support is minimal or short-term, despite greater support being likely to help people deal more successfully with trauma. Rural health providers …

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18 May 2023 | Committee report linked

However, as more extreme weather events are predicted to occur, the Government and NHS England need to adopt a more proactive approach to the mental health and well-being implications of crisis and shock events rather than just leaving it to local areas. We welcome the provision of Mental Health First Aid training for front-line public sector staff working with rural communities during crises. We also welcome the fact that advice and easements are available to help farmers cope with the finan...

However, as more extreme weather events are predicted to occur, the Government and NHS England need to adopt a more proactive approach to the mental health and well-being implications of crisis and shock events rather than just leaving it to …

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18 May 2023 | Committee report linked

We recommend that by the end of this year, 2023: a) DEFRA and DHSC, working with all relevant public health, environmental and first responder stakeholders, assess the readiness of local plans for crisis events, and commence consultations on upgrading local preparedness for rural populations’ mental health, and b) HM Treasury, DHSC, DEFRA and NHS England review current emergency funding mechanisms and how these can be improved by establishing a dedicated Rural Mental Health 81 funding stream,...

We recommend that by the end of this year, 2023: a) DEFRA and DHSC, working with all relevant public health, environmental and first responder stakeholders, assess the readiness of local plans for crisis events, and commence consultations on upgrading local …

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19 Apr 2023 | Committee report linked

The Department may be over-optimistic in its assessment of project costs. The Department’s Cost Assurance and Analysis Service estimates that project costs could be between £5.2 billion and £14 billion higher than those in the Plan. The Department told us that the latter figure was a worst-case scenario and that the different cost calculations are a matter of professional judgement.42 The National Audit Office report highlighted the need for the Department to consider project risks more fully...

The Department may be over-optimistic in its assessment of project costs. The Department’s Cost Assurance and Analysis Service estimates that project costs could be between £5.2 billion and £14 billion higher than those in the Plan. The Department told us …

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2022

2 events
16 Nov 2022 | Committee report linked

There remains substantial uncertainty over the costs of the Weybridge redevelopment programme. In developing its Programme Business Case the Department did more detailed work to understand the costs of the Programme. This increased its cost estimate from £1.2 billion in its Outline Business Case (March Redevelopment of Defra’s animal health infrastructure 7 2020) to £2.8 billion. The Department acknowledges there remains substantial uncertainty over its cost estimate and it has continued to d...

There remains substantial uncertainty over the costs of the Weybridge redevelopment programme. In developing its Programme Business Case the Department did more detailed work to understand the costs of the Programme. This increased its cost estimate from £1.2 billion in …

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13 Jan 2022 | Committee report linked

We recommend that National Highways accelerate its programme of installation of improvements to highways drainage in England, particularly at the 1,326 outfalls and soakaways considered to be high risk, to capture and filter polluting run-off before it enters watercourses and groundwater.

We recommend that National Highways accelerate its programme of installation of improvements to highways drainage in England, particularly at the 1,326 outfalls and soakaways considered to be high risk, to capture and filter polluting run-off before it enters watercourses and …

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2021

10 events
17 Sep 2021 | Committee report linked

The UK is at the forefront of tidal renewable energy technology, but the UK Government must invest more in this sector to ensure that the UK retains its world leading position. A laissez-faire approach risks the UK being left behind again, as happened when Denmark eclipsed the UK in its approach to the offshore wind market. The UK can become world leaders within the tidal energy sector if the right level of investment is introduced and sustained. We welcome the announcement of the tidal strea...

The UK is at the forefront of tidal renewable energy technology, but the UK Government must invest more in this sector to ensure that the UK retains its world leading position. A laissez-faire approach risks the UK being left behind …

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26 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The government has a record of providing the Agency with long-term capital funding settlements, with two six-year settlements covering 2015–16 to 2020–21 and 2021–22 to 2026–27. However, the Agency only has a revenue funding settlement covering the next financial year (2021–22). Revenue funding covers people and running costs including the on-going maintenance of existing flood defences. The Agency is currently in discussion with the Department over its revenue allocation for 2021–22. While t...

The government has a record of providing the Agency with long-term capital funding settlements, with two six-year settlements covering 2015–16 to 2020–21 and 2021–22 to 2026–27. However, the Agency only has a revenue funding settlement covering the next financial year …

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26 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The Agency told us that multi-year revenue funding settlements are preferable and help it to plan in areas such as staffing. The Agency has skills shortages in some specialist areas like engineering that are critical for flood defence. It explained that this is largely due to the disparity between the pay in the public and private sectors and it does not see this situation changing significantly. As a result, one solution it is focused on is developing in- house expertise through apprenticesh...

The Agency told us that multi-year revenue funding settlements are preferable and help it to plan in areas such as staffing. The Agency has skills shortages in some specialist areas like engineering that are critical for flood defence. It explained …

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26 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The Agency explained that on-going maintenance costs are increasing for three main reasons. First, as a result of more extreme weather due to climate change, both more extreme flooding and more extreme droughts. Second, some flood defences in England are quite old, having been built in the 1960s and 1970s. They are now coming to the end of their design life. Third, the Agency is building more defences and these will require maintenance.17

The Agency explained that on-going maintenance costs are increasing for three main reasons. First, as a result of more extreme weather due to climate change, both more extreme flooding and more extreme droughts. Second, some flood defences in England are …

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26 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The Agency is already seeing the impacts of climate change through the increasing strain on existing flood defences. In March 2020, the government gave the Agency £120 million to repair the defences damaged in the 2019–20 winter floods. At that time, the 12 https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/4520/documents/45720/default/ 13 C&AG’s Report, para 2.19 14 Q 74 15 Q 68–69 16 Q 69, 71–72 17 Q 27, 70 12 Managing food risk Agency identified 610 flood defences that needed work and it expect...

The Agency is already seeing the impacts of climate change through the increasing strain on existing flood defences. In March 2020, the government gave the Agency £120 million to repair the defences damaged in the 2019–20 winter floods. At that …

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8 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

It is critical that the considerable outlay of public money through the Government’s £5.2 billion capital investment in flood defences is not wasted through a failure to adequately resource the maintenance of new and existing assets. We are concerned Flooding 47 by the evidence we have received about existing shortcomings in asset maintenance, and this situation will only be exacerbated by the twin pressures of climate change and increased capital funding if the Government does not act. We re...

It is critical that the considerable outlay of public money through the Government’s £5.2 billion capital investment in flood defences is not wasted through a failure to adequately resource the maintenance of new and existing assets. We are concerned Flooding …

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8 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

We recognise and pay tribute to the substantial effort undertaken by all emergency responders, as well as local communities and the armed services, in responding to the severe flooding over the autumn and winter of 2019–20. However, we are concerned by ongoing indications of resourcing issues for those bodies undertaking the vital work of helping protect lives and livelihoods in the immediate wake of a flood. As the Secretary of State has rightly acknowledged the increasing frequency of sever...

We recognise and pay tribute to the substantial effort undertaken by all emergency responders, as well as local communities and the armed services, in responding to the severe flooding over the autumn and winter of 2019–20. However, we are concerned …

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8 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

It is welcome that the Government has now put in place a package of support measures for households and businesses impacted by severe flooding. While it is right that local authorities will usually be best placed to deliver these measures in their areas, it is concerning that some appear to have been left ill-prepared to deal with expectations being set by high-profile announcements from central Government. The eligibility criteria for these schemes have also created at least the impression o...

It is welcome that the Government has now put in place a package of support measures for households and businesses impacted by severe flooding. While it is right that local authorities will usually be best placed to deliver these measures …

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3 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

Government still does not have a good grip of the total costs required to deliver its environmental goals and funding so far has been piecemeal. The Department received an additional £1 billion in funding for 2020–21 in the Spending Review 2020, though it is not clear how much of this is genuinely new money for environmental work, as this includes a previously announced increase in flood defence spending over the next five years. The Environment Agency and Natural England have a key role to p...

Government still does not have a good grip of the total costs required to deliver its environmental goals and funding so far has been piecemeal. The Department received an additional £1 billion in funding for 2020–21 in the Spending Review …

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3 Feb 2021 | Committee report linked

The Department received an additional £1 billion in funding for 2020–21 in the Spending Review, however it confirmed that this includes a previously announced increase in flood defence spending.29 It noted that the increase will allow for significant investment in other environmental areas, including tree planting and peatland restoration, however was unable to specify the exact break down. It told us it would provide us with full details in due course.30

The Department received an additional £1 billion in funding for 2020–21 in the Spending Review, however it confirmed that this includes a previously announced increase in flood defence spending.29 It noted that the increase will allow for significant investment in …

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