Suffolk leaders asked to commit £1.5 million to help flood-hit communities, including Debenham and Framlingham, following Storm Babet flooding

Suffolk leaders are being asked to commit £1.5 million to help flood-hit communities.

Members of the county council’s cabinet are due to meet on Tuesday next week to discuss investing some of the authority’s reserves to help mitigate the effects of flooding across the worst-hit communities during last year’s extreme rainfall events.

In October of last year, thousands across the county suffered the effects of Storm Babet, more than a month’s worth of rainfall in just 24 hours leading to the worst flooding event in over 50 years.

Over 900 properties were initially reported to have flooded internally although the council believes it is likely a lot more were impacted but not reported.

Where five or more properties are flooded in a specific location, the council has the responsibility of investigating how to mitigate future flood risk — over 100 of these investigations spawned from Storm Babet, compared to three or four yearly, covering 48 locations.

With the first few reports now starting to trickle in, covering some of the worst-hit communities such as Debenham and Framlingham, the council is proposing £1.5 million from its reserves to crack on with some of the short-term solutions.

These include the implementation of community flood plans, maximising grants, removing blockages within watercourses and improving drainage infrastructure.

If approved, the work will be developed and delivered through this year and into 2026.

Some of the money will also be used to develop longer-term schemes which will benefit from future external grant funding bids and partnership delivery with communities, organisations, and other landowners.