Flood defence funding breakthrough

It is supporting a seven per cent increase in funding for the Environment Agency which will carry out the work.

Members of the Sussex Flood Defence Committee, of which East Sussex is a member, were on Monday presented with a range of cost options for increases from five to nine per cent.

The agreed seven per cent increase will provide the same flood defence schemes next year as an increase of nine per cent, as the cost difference will be found from the Agency's existing balances.

Anything lower would have provided less flood defence work and/or re-phasing, particularly for the Lewes flood defences.

The seven per cent increase will attract extra cash from the Government which provides 65 per cent funding for flood defence schemes.

Said council leader Cllr Peter Jones: 'People in East Sussex have waited long enough for better coastal and river defences and the recent bad weather has brought us very close to a disaster once more.

'With only a 2.5 per cent increase in Government grant compared to our overall budget, we are already left next year with a huge 30 million gap in the money we need to fund services.

'Until the Government properly funds services in East Sussex we are left with no choice but to ask for more in council tax. This is unacceptable.

'We also believe the Government must change the current system for funding sea and river defence schemes and finance these multi-million pound engineering projects at national level.

'Local councils simply do not have the money.

'In the meantime, the seven per cent increase that we will contribute will help protect our towns and villages.'

The decision has been met with public relief that politicians have listened to the views of the people.

If the levy from the councils had not been fulfilled, Lewes would have been the first project to be cut back.

John Clark, spokesman for pressure group Lewes Flood Action, said: 'We are, of course, pleased that this hurdle has been overcome.

'But it should not be forgotten that, although the plans are a good start, they are inadequate as a final solution.

'And even now we cannot expect work to start much before April 2004 unless someone at the highest level in Government decides to cut through the red tape and tell agencies to get on with it.

'If, as nearly happened last week, Lewes is flooded between now and the completion of work, it will be a disgraceful indictment of the slow pace of bureaucracy.'

At Lewes 6 million will be spent on heightening and strengthening river walls and raising levees. There are longer term plans to open up farm land south of Lewes as potential flood plains.

Work will continue to keep Pevensey coastal defences intact and a hydraulic study is to be made of the Uckfield High Street bridge to find ways of improving its river flow capacity.

Peter Midgley, Environment Agency area manager, said: 'The events of the past few days show the importance of this work.

'It also demonstrates the need for continuing future investment in flood defences for our rivers and coastline.'