Suffolk County Council set on major investment to further protect Suffolk from flooding as it calls on Government to ‘step up’

• Council set to agree £1.5 million to deliver first phase of works identified in initial flood investigation reports 
• Authority calls on Government to recognise ongoing impact of Storm Babet and fund £20 million of further prevention work urgently needed 
• Extensive work already completed since Storm Babet including more than 111,000 drains cleared and significant road repairs   

 
Suffolk County Council has today announced its intention to invest another £1.5 million to carry out important flooding prevention work. 
 
The commitment comes as initial flood investigation reports have identified that a further £20 million is needed to complete the work – a figure that the county council can’t afford. The council has therefore written to the Flooding Minister, Emma Hardy MP, and demanded the government step up and plug the funding gap. 

Examples of the kind of projects that could be delivered include:  

1. Creating flood water retention ponds in land above villages and green spaces within communities to capture water and slow the flow into residential areas 
2. Installing flood doors and non-return valves on drains to stop water entering properties that are particularly at risk of flooding 
3. Help landowners with advice and guidance, especially those within responsibilities to maintain ditches and streams on their properties (known as ‘riparian ownership’) 
4. Bolstering Suffolk Highways’ resources to deliver planned and reactive maintenance on the county’s roads and footpaths 

 Councillor Paul West, Cabinet Member for Operational Highways and Flooding, said:  

“Since Storm Babet, our teams have been working hard to repair the damage it caused, investigate what happened and to help reduce the flood risk in future. This preventative work is complex, costly and requires lots of agencies work together.  

“Despite limited resources and budgetary challenges facing all county councils, we have managed to find extra money to tackle flooding and propose investing a further £1.5 million to deliver work identified in our investigations. However, this isn’t enough and - so steep is the challenge facing areas like Suffolk, who were hit hard by Storm Babet - the government must act and provide extra funding. This is why we’ve written to the Flooding Minister asking for additional money. The government needs to step up to the plate and help us ensure Suffolk’s residents don’t face uncertainty when these extreme weather events occur.  

 “I saw firsthand how devastating the impact of Storm Babet was for many families and businesses across Suffolk. The finished flood investigation reports give us a clear understanding of what work needs to be done and at what cost. It is right that we continue to increase our resources appropriately, but unless the government acts too we will not be able to go as far as our residents deserve.” 

Storm Babet struck between October 18^th and 21^st last year and caused substantial flooding and disruption across Suffolk. A month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours, flooding more than 900 homes and businesses. The impact of the storm was exceptional and demanded an urgent multiagency response.  

So far, Suffolk County Council has committed more than £13.75 million for work to aid recovery from Storm Babet.   

As part of our continued commitment to reduce flood risk, Suffolk County Council has: 

• Already committed £12.25 million, including:  
• £1 million on bringing in additional flood investigation specialists 
• £1.25 million for repairs to Suffolk’s highways following the flood damage 
• £10 million funding, which was committed in 2021, to address long-standing drainage issues over three years. This complements £2 million a year invested in drainage repairs and improvements funded from the Department for Transport maintenance grant  
• Completed seven location-based flood investigations, with an estimated 50 to complete. This compares to an average of three or four investigations in an average year.  These reports provide a detailed account of events for each flooding location and recommendations for other organisations, landowners, businesses and residents 
• Carried out extensive works on Suffolk’s highways. Specifically:  
• Cleared 96% of highway drainage gullies across Suffolk, more than 111,000. This involves lifting the iron grates and sucking up the debris that has washed off the roads  
• Attended more than 3,500 emergency call outs for flooding related incidents – an unprecedented number. This includes pumping an estimated 2.5million litres of water from the roads, removing 53 tonnes of debris and clearing 121 fallen trees 
• Rolled out the DEFRA-funded Recovery Scheme which meant that flooded property owners could apply for up to £5,000 to make their homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding. Suffolk County Council is administering the scheme on behalf of government. Applications are open until April 2025 

The new money is set to be agreed by the council’s Cabinet on 5 November.