Homes and businesses across Yorkshire are set to benefit from new flood defence funding.
A £1.4 billion national investment in flood defences for 2026/27 includes £65 million for 94 schemes across Yorkshire and the Humber, part of what is being described as the largest flood programme in England’s history.
The funding aims to better protect more than 2,000 homes and businesses in the region through new and upgraded defences.
Lyn Peart, area director for Yorkshire and the Humber at the Environment Agency, said: “This investment allows the Environment Agency and our partners to deliver 94 flood schemes across Yorkshire and the Humber, protecting thousands of homes and businesses from flooding.
“Working with local councils and partners, we’re delivering a wide range of projects, from traditional flood defences to natural flood management, to protect communities better now and into the future.”
One key project in West Yorkshire is the Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme, which will receive £2.4 million.
The scheme is designed to reduce flood risk for 55 homes and 359 non-residential properties, offering greater protection to both residents and businesses in the area.
Other major investments include £7.3 million for works on the Dutch River (left bank) from Went Outfall to the River Ouse confluence, part of the Humber 2100+ programme, and £4.9 million for the Winestead Drain Pumping Station, which supports the Outstrays to Skeffling Managed Realignment Scheme.
Nationally, £830 million of the total investment will support more than 600 flood defence schemes across England.
An additional £260 million will be allocated to managing, maintaining, and repairing existing Environment Agency defences, including those damaged by recent storms Goretti and Chandra.
Emma Hardy, floods minister, said: “Flooding can turn lives upside down in a matter of hours, destroying homes, shutting down businesses and leaving communities facing months of heartbreak and recovery.
“This £1.4 billion investment will help protect tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the country and strengthen the defences families rely on when the worst happens.”
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Caroline Douglass, executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, added: “From major flood barriers and strengthened embankments to natural flood management and coastal defence projects, we’re combining engineering and nature-based solutions to reduce flood risk and build long-term resilience for communities across the country.”
The government estimates that every £1 invested in flood defences prevents around £8 in economic damage.
