Tag: 2025

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

Schemes supported as part of record £2.65 billion two-year investment to protect communities from flooding.

Over 1,000 flood schemes will be built or repaired to protect thousands of homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding, the Government and Environment Agency have announced.

Investing a record £2.65 billion over two years towards the construction of new flood schemes and the repair and maintenance of existing ones, the government has published today the full list of projects supported over the next year.

During the two-year investment, 1,000 flood schemes have been or will continue to be supported. This year around £430 million is going towards their construction, while a further £220 million will be used to reinstate flood defences to their full standard of service and original design life to help protect communities. Further funding has been earmarked for repairing existing flood assets utilised in flood events, such as pumps, as well as important activity to warn and inform the public of flooding risks.

As the frequency of extreme weather events continues to increase due to climate change, there are more and more devastating impacts for communities across the country, costing the UK economy billions each year.

This investment is part of the Government’s Plan for Change, delivering security for working people and renewal for our country. It will boost economic growth in local communities, by protecting businesses, delivering new jobs, and supporting a stable economy in the face of the increasing risk of flooding as a result of climate change.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

The role of Government is to protect its citizens. However, we inherited flood defences in their worst condition on record.

Through our Plan for Change, this government will deliver a decade of national renewal and economic growth. As part of that we are investing a record £2.65 billion to build and repair over 1,000 flood defences across the country.

Flagship schemes to receive funding this year include:

• Derby Flood Risk Management Scheme in Derbyshire, which will receive £34.6 million and protect 673 homes.
• North Portsea Island Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Scheme in Hampshire, which will receive £13.8 million and protect 1,081 homes.
• Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme in Lancashire, which will receive £10.4 million and protect 1,537 homes.
• Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill Flood Defences in Dorset, which will receive £12.2 million and protect 135 homes.
• Benacre and Kessingland Flood Risk Management Scheme in Suffolk, which will receive £10.1 million and protect 86 homes.
• Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme in Yorkshire, which will receive £5 million and protect 414 homes.

Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency, said:

Protecting communities in England from the devastating impact of flooding is our priority and this is more important than ever as climate change brings more extreme weather to the nation.

The delivery of these schemes will be welcome news for homeowners and businesses, who have experienced flooding in the past and may face more extreme weather as our climate continues to change.

Our focus is now on working with local councils and Regional Flood and Coastal Committees to deliver these schemes on time, ensuring as many properties as possible are protected.

The Government has prioritised £140 million to ensure that 29 schemes, which are in progress but struggling with cost pressures, can be delivered without further delays, protecting nearby communities as soon as possible. The list of supported schemes has also been confirmed by the Environment Agency and includes flood defences in Great Yarmouth and the Alverstoke Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme on the south coast.

Notes to editors:

• Schemes proceeding in 2026/7 and beyond will be subject to the routine RFCC consenting process and decisions at SR25.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

Extension to ban of burning on deep peat proposed by Government, so that an extra 146,000 hectares are protected.

• Peatlands store carbon, improve water quality, provide valuable habitat for wildlife, and help protect communities from flooding
• Action will improve air quality in villages, towns and cities, help deliver manifesto commitments to reach Net Zero by 2050 and expand wildlife-rich habitat, as part of our Plan for Change

Nature-rich peatland habitats are to be better protected under plans set out by the Government today (Monday 31 March), which would ban burning on peat in the uplands, improving health and wellbeing of people in nearby communities.

Sometimes described as the country’s lungs, peatlands are a vital resource which can store carbon, reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and support rare wildlife such as the golden plover and curlews. They are also some of our richest habitats for dragonflies with 25 of the UK’s 38 species found on upland peatbogs.

However, 80% of England’s peatlands are currently degraded. Burning on peatland increases heather growth, which dries out the peatland, causing it to actually emit rather than store carbon.

Burning of vegetation including heather on this scale causes the release of harmful smoke into the air, impacting air quality across communities. This includes harmful air pollutants for human health, including ones strongly associated with strokes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and some lung cancers.

Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest – home to our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flooding risk.

The UK has 13% of the world’s blanket bog. A rare global habitat, it is a precious part of our national heritage, and that is why we‘re announcing a consultation on these measures to ensure deep peat is better protected.

These changes will benefit communities by improving air and water quality, and protect homes and businesses from flood damage, which supports economic stability and security under our Plan for Change.

If implemented, these changes will increase the area currently protected from 222,000 to more than 368,000 hectares of England’s total 677,250 hectares of deep peat, meaning an area equivalent to the size of Greater London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands put together will now be better protected.

The definition of deep peat will be revised, so that deep peat is counted as anything over 30cms rather than 40cms. The entire area of upland deep peat that is potentially subject to burning will be protected.

This approach is being supported by evidence provided by Natural England. Any prescribed burning would need to be done under strict licence, issued where there is a clear need, for example to reduce wildfire risk.

The move comes as part of wider government plans to support nature recovery and clean up the air for our health, wellbeing and the environment. It is an important step in tackling the underlying drivers of ill-health as outlined in the Government’s mission to improve health and follows announcements on the wild release and management of beavers in England, a new approach to neonicotinoid pesticides on crops grown in England and new measures to strengthen our protected areas and meet 30×30.  The Government has also pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration, as part of its Nature for Climate Fund.

The consultation will run for eight weeks from today and the public and land managers are urged to have their say. The Government is proposing to refine the existing licencing system whereby applicants need to successfully explain why alternative methods have not or would not work and show how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future in order to receive a licence. One of the grounds to apply for a licence to burn will be to reduce the risk of wildfire, so we can balance environmental protection with practical land management.

The supporting evidence has also been published today. Natural England published a comprehensive updated Evidence Review on ‘The effects of managed burning on upland peatland biodiversity, carbon and water’, along with a Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for Blanket bog, which sets out its view on favourable conservation status for Blanket bog in England.
The England Peat Map, a detailed, open-access map of England’s peatlands, covering extent, depth, and condition, is being developed by Natural England and will be published later in the spring.

Notes to editors:

• The consultation on proposed changes to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 will allow stakeholders time to comment and for responses to be analysed and fed into subsequent policy development.
• The consultation is available on gov.uk and will run until 25 May.
• It is proposed that the increase in total area protected would be achieved by changing the designated area from Sites of Special Scientific Interest that are also Special Areas of Conservation and/or Special Protection Areas to Less Favoured Areas.
• In addition, the proposed changes would extend the regulations to protect shallower peat, over 30cm.
• The amended licencing regime proposed by the consultation would enable land managers and owners to apply for a licence to burn in limited circumstances. For their application to be successful they must explain why alternative methods have not or would not work and demonstrate how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

Additional funding for internal drainage boards (IDBs) to boost farm and rural flood resilience, bringing total IDB Fund to £91 million.

More than 400,000 hectares of agricultural land across England will receive a significant, further boost to its flood protection thanks to £16 million in additional funding for internal drainage boards (IDBs), Floods Minister Emma Hardy announced today (Monday 31 March).

Some 91,000 homes and businesses are also expected to benefit from the IDB Fund, which has been bolstered to a total of £91 million on top of the previously allocated £75 million as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

IDBs are the vital local public bodies who manage water levels for agricultural and environmental needs across the country. They serve 1.2 million hectares of land covering 9.7% of the country’s total land area, operate around 500 pumping stations, and maintain more than 22,000 kilometres (13,700 miles) of watercourses.

The funding will go towards helping IDBs with operational expenses following the devastating winter storms of 2023/4, including bankrolling the repair of pumping stations.

It will also enable investment in modernising and upgrading IDB assets and waterways to ensure they are fit for the future.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the investment will improve resilience for farmland, flood infrastructure and rural communities, delivering growth and supporting agricultural production.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

Flooding can take a devastating toll on farmers and rural communities. This additional funding will ensure rural flood assets are more resilient or fully replaced, putting IDBs on a firm footing to deliver their vital work on flood and water management for years to come.

Thousands of properties and tens of thousands of hectares of farmland are already seeing their flood resilience improved as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and today’s further investment will help support our farmers further.

The Environment Agency manages the Fund and will distribute grants to IDBs by the end of April 2025 .

Ian Hodge, Environment Agency Chief Engineer and Director of Asset Management & Engineering, said:

By increasing the IDB Fund with an additional £16 million, we are equipping these essential public bodies to address the mounting challenges posed by climate change, including more frequent and severe weather events.

This funding ensures IDBs can repair flood risk management assets, manage rising costs, and continue their crucial work in reducing flood risks.

Beyond safeguarding communities, this investment will enable internal drainage boards to manage water levels more effectively for agricultural productivity and environmental priorities, bolstering resilience and adaptability for years to come.

So far, the IDB Fund  has provided £53 million for more than 200 projects between July 2024 and March 2025. It will have supported 91 of the nation’s 112 IDBs upon completion.

Bill Symons, clerk to the York Consortium of Drainage Boards who benefitted from the Fund, said:

The IDB Fund has allowed us to deliver more sustainable, higher quality works on flood infrastructure badly damaged by storms and flooding. This was proving to be an expensive, unfunded legacy.

The funding has reduced financial pressure locally at a critical time after a period of flooding and loss of productivity in agriculture, along with shortages of funds in local authorities.

We have used local workforces and contractors to deliver some of our more expensive and problematic bank slips and delivered more than we could do normally thanks to the fund.

Further projects already delivered through the IDB Fund include the replacement of pumps and pumping station infrastructure, much of which was built in the 1960s and damaged during recent storm and flood events.

A £1.3 million project to install four new pumps at Marshfield and Lapperditch pumping stations in the Lower Severn catchment near Gloucester has just been completed, meaning the stations will be able to operate for at least another 25 years. The new pumps also support River Severn flood defences, 12 kilometres of roads, and fish and eels, as well as reducing the amount of time farmland in the area spends under water.

Elsewhere, funding has also been used to repair flood embankments, desilt drainage ditches, install telemetry and water control structures for remote operation, and improve fish and eel passages.

More than 64% of England’s agricultural land graded excellent and suitable for a wide range of crops with consistently high yields – known as Grade 1 Agricultural Land – is within regions managed by IDBs. Approximately 20% of arable production is from land in or close to IDBs.

In February, the Government committed a record £2.65 billion investment over two years towards the construction of new flood schemes alongside the repair and maintenance of existing assets as part of its Plan for Change.

The Environment Agency has today published a list of the schemes across the nation to benefit from funding for the next year.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

New rules on how workplaces in England sort their recycling and waste have now come into force, ending confusion over what goes where and enabling consistent, more streamlined collections.

The measures as part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling plans will boost flatlining recycling rates, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill or for incineration, and deliver cost savings for some businesses, while replacing previous legislation which could have required them to have up to six bins.

From today (Monday 31 March), workplaces with 10 or more employees will need to arrange for the collection of the following:

• dry recyclable materials – including plastic, metal, glass, and paper and card
• food waste
• residual (non-recyclable) waste

Workplaces will need to separate paper and card from the other dry recyclables unless their waste collector collects them together. They will also have the freedom to decide on the size of containers and frequency of collections based on the volume of waste they produce.

This is a sensible, pragmatic approach to the collection of materials for the businesses and other premises in scope, which include residential homes, universities and schools, and hospitals or nursing homes.

Simplifying the approach will mean more high-quality recycled material can be sourced domestically, which can then be used by manufacturers to make new products as part of the transition to a more circular economy.

This will reduce carbon emissions, cut environmental and societal impacts from waste disposal, and support growth of the UK reprocessing industry.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:

We are committed to ending the throwaway society, boosting recycling rates which have stalled for too long, and driving growth through the Government’s Plan for Change.

Simplifying the rules for workplaces will make recycling easier, maximising environmental benefits, delivering cost savings and stimulating growth.

We’ll continue to work hand-in-hand with businesses to deliver our reforms to drive up recycling rates and ensure there’s more recycled content in the products we buy.

As of 31 March, the Environment Agency has assumed responsibilities as the regulator for Simpler Recycling, meaning it is committed to supporting businesses – both waste producers and collectors – with their new duties.

This includes helping businesses to understand the actions they need to take to ensure compliance with the regulations.

Steve Molyneux, deputy director of waste and resources regulation at the Environment Agency, said:

The implementation of Simpler Recycling for workplaces is a pivotal moment and a huge step forward, driving change in the waste market, optimising the use of our precious resources, and contributing to a circular economy.

We are committed to supporting businesses with their new duties. We will take a pragmatic approach to implementation and will work with stakeholders to support them in overcoming any difficulties they might face in relation to compliance.

Simpler Recycling in England is integral to the Government’s commitment to move to a circular economy in which resources are kept in use for longer and waste is reduced; the path to net zero is accelerated; and the economy prospers thanks to investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs.

Further measures under Simpler Recycling to come mean the public will be able to recycle the same materials across England, whether at home, work or school.

By 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless their councils have a transitional arrangement in place, giving them a later start date in legislation.

Kerbside plastic film collections from workplaces and households will also be introduced by 31 March 2027.

Workplaces with fewer than 10 employees have until 31 March 2027 to arrange for the recycling of the core recyclable waste streams.

Alongside extended producer responsibility for packaging and the deposit return scheme for drinks containers, Simpler Recycling in England is estimated to deliver greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to £11.8 billion and make a significant contribution towards meeting the ambition to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035.

The reforms will also drive up recycling rates – household recycling rates in England have flatlined at around 44-45% since 2015.

The implementation of Simpler Recycling for workplaces follows Environment Secretary Steve Reed setting out a new plan to transform the nation’s economy on 27 March, ensuring resources and products are used more sustainably and delivering cleaner streets and a healthy countryside.

The Environment Secretary confirmed the first five priority sectors that the independent Circular Economy Taskforce will focus on to make the greatest difference, which are textiles, transport, construction, agri-food, and chemicals and plastics.