<section><p>Environment analysis: The government has published its long term plan to tackle the risks of flooding and coastal erosion. This comprehensive plan includes significant investment to create approximately 2,000 new flood and coastal defences to better protect 336,000 properties in England by 2027. The policy statement builds on the approach taken in the 25 Year Plan. The goals of the strategy are to ‘create a nation more resilient to future flood and coastal erosion risk and in doing so, reduce the risk of harm to people, the environment and the economy’. The policy also introduces proposed changes to the Flood Re insurance scheme, a new Innovative Resilience Programme and accelerated flood defence construction.</p><p>Defra has published its <a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/900094/flood-coastal-erosion-policy-statement.pdf" target="_blank" title="Opens in a new window">Flood and coastal erosion risk management: Policy Statement</a> (Policy Statement). The new plan is the most comprehensive in a decade, and includes proposed investment of £5.2bn to create around 2,000 new flood and coastal defences to better protect 336,000 properties in England by 2027, alongside support to help households and businesses recover more quickly after flooding. This policy statement builds on the approach taken in the <a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan" target="_blank" title="Opens in a new window">25 Year Plan</a> and in the <a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-second-national-adaptation-programme-2018-to-2023" target="_blank" title="Opens in a new window">National Adaptation Programme</a> and sets out national goals specifically for flooding and coastal erosion.</p><p>For more information on the 25 Year Plan see Practice Note: <a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/lexispsl/environment/document/412012/linkHandler.faces?psldocinfo=Government_publishes_long_term_plan_to_tackle_the_risks_of_flooding_and_coastal_erosion&ps=null&bct=A&homeCsi=0&A=0.34581213735396354&urlEnc=ISO-8859-1&&dpsi=0OLN&remotekey1=DOC-ID&remotekey2=0OLN_3289342&service=DOC-ID&origdpsi=0S4D">25 Year Environment Plan Tracker</a>.</p><h2>What is the background to the Policy Statement?</h2></section><p>Flooding and coastal erosion can cause significant damage and disruption to infrastructure, properties, health, wellbeing, land and natural habitats. Risks from flooding and coastal change are recognised in the government’s <a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://gov.uk/government/publications/uk-climate-change-risk-assessment-2017" target="_blank" title="Opens in a new window">UK Climate Change Risk Assessment</a>. As climate change leads to sea level rise and more extreme rainfall, the number of people at risk from flooding and coastal erosion continues to grow. The <a data-sf-ec-immutable="" href="https://metoffice.gov.uk/research/approach/collaboration/ukcp/index" target="_blank" title="Opens in a new window">UK Climate Projections 2018</a> show an increased chance </p>
Source: LexisNexis Purpose Built
Government publishes long-term plan to tackle the risks of flooding and coastal erosion
