Senior government figures are being accused of failing to grasp the full impact of cutting river maintenance in Somerset’s low-lying areas, councillors have revealed.
In August, the Environment Agency announced it would reduce or halt maintenance of main rivers due to significant budget cuts. The agency, which is not legally obligated to carry out this maintenance, received only 60% of the funding it requested from the Treasury. As a result, it now plans to focus its limited resources solely on the highest-risk zones.
This decision has raised alarm across the Somerset region. Speaking before a North Somerset Council scrutiny committee 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 decision.
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Sturdy said, “We have asked the agency, both regionally and nationally, to pause the withdrawal of maintenance and reinstate work until a thorough impact assessment is completed.”
He added a warning: “When we speak to [Water and Flooding Minister] Emma Hardy and other senior figures, they seem to understand the numbers and budgets but not the broader context. Their message is clear: resources are targeted where they protect the greatest number of people and properties—end of discussion.”
He questioned, “But what about the many places left inadequately protected as a result?”
North Somerset Council has not received any formal notification about which rivers will see a cessation of maintenance. However, the council has been informed that, thanks to savings in other areas, some work has been carried out on the Land Yeo—a river flowing through Clevedon behind residential gardens. North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan was among those urging the agency not to stop maintenance there.
Simon Bunn, North Somerset Council’s flood risk manager, told the committee that the Environment Agency emphasized that the continued work on the Land Yeo applies only for this year and was based solely on risk criteria, not public or political pressure.
Despite this, committee member Peter Burden (Portishead South, Conservative) expressed frustration. He argued that maintaining the Land Yeo is mainly cosmetic and provides no real drainage benefit. “There are far more critical drainage needs in North Somerset than this river,” he said.
Clevedon councillor Michael Pryke (Clevedon Walton, Conservative) highlighted the role of community activism: “The Friends of the Land Yeo have effectively lobbied local and central government to get things moving. I encourage councillors to form similar groups to advocate for their own waterways.”
Burden agreed but criticized the Environment Agency for withdrawing maintenance without any prior consultation.
The committee resolved to ramp up lobbying efforts to restore government funding for river maintenance and to collaborate with other organizations on a strategic plan to safeguard local watercourses.
With the Environment Agency stepping back, responsibility for maintaining rivers now falls to landowners with watercourses—known as riparian owners—including North Somerset Council, which owns land adjacent to some rivers.
A report submitted to the committee warned that the council will be forced to take on responsibilities it has never handled before, without any allocated budget or internal capacity to manage this additional workload.
Furthermore, “North Somerset Council does not have an identified revenue budget for watercourse maintenance and the Environment Agency is unable to provide funding for this work,” the report said. The current expenditure of the Environment Agency on river upkeep in North Somerset remains unclear.
This new financial burden comes as the already cash-strapped council plans to close several libraries to manage soaring social care demands. The council also warned in October that it may not balance its budget next year without government aid, potentially leading to council tax rises above the 5% cap.
The report concluded grimly: “Without dedicated funding for main river maintenance, any spending will inevitably displace other priorities.”