Senior government officials have been criticized for their apparent lack of understanding regarding the consequences of cutting river maintenance in low-lying Somerset, councillors revealed at a recent North Somerset Council scrutiny meeting.
In August, the Environment Agency announced it would reduce or halt maintenance on main rivers due to severe budget constraints. Receiving only 60% of its requested funding from the Treasury, the agency is now focusing limited resources solely on the highest-risk areas, leaving many smaller rivers with little to no upkeep.
This decision has raised alarm throughout Somerset. Speaking on November 6, Iain Sturdy from the Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium explained that the South West Association of Drainage Authorities has formally challenged the Environment Agency’s plan. He urged for a pause in the withdrawal until a comprehensive impact assessment is conducted: “When we discuss this with Minister Emma Hardy and other senior industry figures, they grasp the financial figures but fail to appreciate the wider context. The message has been clear: funds must protect the greatest number of people and properties. End of discussion.”
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Sturdy warned, “What about the other areas that will now be inadequately protected?”
North Somerset Council has yet to receive formal notification about which rivers will lose maintenance. However, the Environment Agency confirmed some ongoing work on the Land Yeo, thanks to savings elsewhere. This river, running through Clevedon behind private homes, had garnered appeals from local MPs like Sadik Al-Hassan to maintain its upkeep.
Simon Bunn, flood risk manager for North Somerset Council, emphasized that the current work on Land Yeo is a temporary measure driven purely by risk factors and not by political pressure or public opinion.
However, council member Peter Burden voiced frustration at continued attention on the Land Yeo while other rivers in greater need see their maintenance withdrawn. “The only reason to work on that river is aesthetic — it doesn’t contribute to drainage,” he said. He stressed that more critical drainage issues remain unaddressed in the area.
Clevedon councillor Michael Pryke praised the Friends of the Land Yeo group for effectively lobbying local and national officials to secure attention for the river. He encouraged other communities along waterways to organize similar groups to advocate for their own local watercourses.
Burden echoed this sentiment but criticized the Environment Agency’s abrupt withdrawal without prior consultation.
In response, the council committee agreed to intensify efforts lobbying the government for continued river maintenance funds and to collaborate on a strategic watercourse management plan.
With the Environment Agency stepping back, the responsibility for river upkeep now largely falls to riparian landowners, including the North Somerset Council, which owns land alongside many watercourses. A council report highlighted the challenge: “NSC will have to fulfill responsibilities it has never had before, without an allocated budget or sufficient staff capacity.”
The report warned that the council lacks dedicated funding for watercourse maintenance and has not received financial support from the Environment Agency. The exact current expenditure of the agency on river maintenance in North Somerset remains unknown.
This new responsibility comes amid severe financial pressures as North Somerset Council prepares to close several libraries and faces rising social care costs. In October, the council already announced it might exceed the 5% council tax cap to balance next year’s budget without government aid.
The report concluded, “Without dedicated funds for river maintenance, any spending in this area will reduce resources available for other critical services.”