Farmers, growers, and landowners across the country are experiencing a greater risk of flooding linked, in some places, to the lack of maintenance of main rivers and ordinary watercourses (in some areas this lack of maintenance spans decades). This is often due to the Environment Agency (EA) withdrawing from maintaining main rivers and flood defences.
Existing policy
The government’s latest flood statement (July 2020) detailed that it would ensure ‘that our existing flood defences are well-maintained and climate resilient’.
The NFU agrees wholeheartedly with this promise, yet in the recent announcement of the maintenance budget, the government has failed to provide a long-term approach to managing and maintaining flood defences and watercourses. Maintenance of our existing hydrological and flood risk infrastructure, whether natural or manmade, is hugely important as the entire catchment needs to be fully functional in order to manage flood risk, now and in the future.
Cost to agriculture
Agriculture is often at the mercy of extreme and changeable weather, while at the same time it is viewed by some as the solution to many flooding problems.
While current funding prioritises concentrations of people and property, farmers experience a lack of maintenance of watercourses and coastal channels and reduced maintenance of banks and flood defence assets. The result is more frequent, more extensive and longer duration flooding events.
Without insurance cover for losses, farming businesses are being put under increased financial pressure after each flood event. At the same time, they are being asked to take more and more land out of production (with extremely limited reward, if any) to reduce flood risk elsewhere.
NFU here for you
The NFU is lobbying for fair compensation, long-term planning and effective engagement when it comes to managing flood risk across the country. Part of that long-term planning is river maintenance, and we want to empower members to help yourselves when it comes to sustainably and effectively managing watercourses crossing your land.
Download your briefing
This member briefing covers some of the main considerations and options when it comes to maintenance: River Maintenance and Catchment Permitting
The briefing provides an overview of river maintenance rights and responsibilities and background information on catchment permitting with a view to help you manage flood risk and river maintenance. In addition, potential next steps that you can consider to help address maintenance issues are presented along with clear explanations of the EA's powers, landowner responsibilities and potential options to help manage river maintenance in your catchment.
For more detailed information, you can also download the NFU Water Maintenance Solutions Pack.