Somerset councillors are urging the Environment Agency (EA) to reconsider its planned reduction in flood prevention maintenance across the Levels and Moors. This comes after the EA revealed in mid-August that it would cease maintaining large stretches of Somerset’s rivers and waterways due to receiving only 60% of the requested funding from the Treasury.
In response, the South West Association of Drainage Authorities (SWADA) held an emergency meeting on August 18, where local councillors and drainage board representatives passed a motion calling for the EA to reverse its decision. The Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) has also voiced strong opposition, highlighting how landowners are frustrated and feeling left unsupported as they cannot perform necessary maintenance themselves without EA permissions.
The EA asserts that the cuts target the least beneficial work with no significant increase in flood risk for residents. Still, key rivers impacted include those in areas badly affected by past floods, like Curry Rivel and Langport.
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At the SRA board meeting on September 12 in Taunton, board chairman Councillor Mike Stanton emphasized the importance of supporting the EA while criticizing the broader issue of insufficient funding. His motion called on the EA to withdraw its recent letters informing landowners of maintenance withdrawal and to reinstate maintenance until further assessments and consultations with drainage boards occur.
Councillor Ros Wyke (Liberal Democrat, Mendip West) echoed concerns from constituents, many of whom expressed anger about having to obtain EA permission to work on their own land. She explained that while people understand the funding challenges, the new licensing requirements leave landowners feeling powerless and frustrated, with some considering unilateral action despite potential risks.
SRA vice-chairman Tony Bradford, also a member of the Parrett Internal Drainage Board, described the announcement as part of an ongoing decline in maintenance efforts. He lamented years of neglect and stressed the need for better prioritization of limited funds to maximize flood risk management benefits rather than spending on activities with little impact.
EA’s Piers Hooper, operations manager for Wessex west flood and coastal risk management, stressed that flood prevention for key assets would continue, and the recent cuts focus on lower-benefit work unlikely to receive future funding. He acknowledged the chronic underfunding the agency faces, with historical funding levels at 40-60% of requests. The EA remains open to further consultation with the SRA and drainage boards to ensure views are considered, but he cautioned that without significant, sustained funding increases, such cuts may be unavoidable.
The motion to oppose the withdrawal of maintenance was unanimously supported by the SRA board, reflecting widespread local concern over the future of Somerset’s flood defences.