Millions to be invested into East Midlands flood resilience schemes in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire, says Labour government ahead of Flood Resilience Taskforce meeting

Millions of pounds will be invested into flood resilience schemes for residents across the region.

The East Midlands as a whole is due to receive £37.5m in government funding to bolster flood defences, and protect thousands of homes and businesses.

While £35m of this is set for Derby’s Flood Risk Management Scheme, the remaining £2.5m will be shared across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire to fund property flood resilience schemes.

It forms part of larger plans to invest £2.65bn over the next two years, building new flood defences and maintaining and repairing those already in place.

The announcement comes as the government’s Floods Resilience Taskforce meets today (February 5), with the floods minister Emma Hardy joined by other ministers, alongside representatives from the Met Office, Local Resilience Forum, and the National Farmers Union.

The taskforce will look at further steps that can be taken to protect the 6.3m properties in England at risk from flooding and what lessons can be learnt from recent winter storms such as Bert and Éowyn.

Establishing the Flood Resilience Taskforce was a pledge the Labour Party made when in opposition and has now been established as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Labour claim to have inherited “flood assets in their poorest condition on record” as a result of dozens of damaging storms and as well as underinvestment from the Conservatives during their 14 years in power — the government have therefore made restoration and maintenance of flood defences a priority.

Secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, Steve Reed MP, said: “The Conservatives’ flood defence negligence over the past 14 years was a dereliction of duty that left communities in the East Midlands exposed and cost the economy billions.

“They failed to spend over two thirds of the money pledged for flood defences, leaving our flood defence infrastructure in the poorest condition on record.

“That’s why this Labour Government is now investing a record £2.65 billion to build and maintain flood defences across the country to protect lives, homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding – including in these vital projects in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.”