UNISON has slammed further budget cuts to the Environment Agency as “a dangerous gamble” and accused the government of misleading local communities at risk of flooding.
The union, which represents 4,500 Environment Agency workers, has warned that millions of UK homes will remain at risk of flooding until the amount of investment in flood defences matches the size of the problem. It was revealed in the House of Commons yesterday that in real terms, investment in flood defences has decreased from £646m in 2010 to £527m in 2014.
Capital spending on flood defences fell by 27% in the first year of the coalition government, with central government funding of the Environment Agency falling by 10% between 2011-12 to 2014-15. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has suffered cuts of £500m since 2010 and its budget is due to be slashed by a further £300m.
UNISON National Officer for the Environment Agency, Matthew Lay, said:
“The government is taking a dangerous gamble with peoples’ lives and property by slashing a further £300m from the DEFRA budget. This is a false economy based on a false argument that has very real consequences.
“It is misleading to suggest that more money is going into flood defences because of the cuts already made from projected spending on flood defences during the first two years of the Coalition. What is now clear is that there is an increased risk of flooding in the future which requires greater investment than is currently planned, meaning more misery for many communities in the future.
“Each flooding episode drains more resources and costs more to put right than preventative measures. The government is going to great lengths to say they are investing in the future of flood defences, but this is the bare minimum required to simply stand still.”
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