Suffolk County Council to invest further £1.5m in flood protection measures in wake of Storm Babet – but a further £20m needed as authority writes to flooding minister Emma Hardy MP

Suffolk will see a further £1.5 million invested in its flood prevention infrastructure, but another £20 million is needed to complete the work according to a council.

Suffolk County Council announced today it would invest the £1.5 million in further protective measures, but has also written to flooding minister Emma Hardy MP, calling on the government to help plug the funding gap.

It has suggested projects which could be delivered through the extra funding, including installing flood doors and non-return valves on drains to protect flood-risk properties and enhancing Suffolk Highways’ resources to deliver planned and reactive maintenance on the county’s roads and footpaths.

Paul West, cabinet member for operation highways and flooding, said: “Since Storm Babet, our teams have been working hard to repair the damage it caused, investigate what happened and to help reduce the flood risk in future.

“This preventative work is complex, costly and requires lots of agencies work together.

“The finished flood investigation reports give us a clear understanding of what work needs to be done and at what cost.

“It is right that we continue to increase our resources appropriately.”

It has been nearly a year since Storm Babet struck, between October 18 and 21, as a month’s worth of rain fell in a 24-hour period.

More than 900 homes and businesses were flooded.

Thus far, the council has committed more than £13.75 million to aid recovery from the storm.

This includes an existing £10 million from 2021 to address long standing drainage issues over three years, £1.25 million in repairs to the county’s roads following flood damage and another million pounds to bring in additional flood investigation specialists.

The council has completed seven location-based flood investigations, with an estimated 50 in total to do.

The new £1.5 million in funding is set to be agreed by the council’s cabinet on November 5.