Solihull Council has been granted £440k worth of Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) funding by the Environment Agency to use for flood mitigation schemes at four locations within the borough.
Alongside the FDGiA funding there is a commitment of £431k from the Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, which means the council has now secured over £800k of external funding for these potential schemes.
In the wake of terrible flooding in 2018 the Council pledged to investigate what could be done to protect people’s homes from such flooding in the future. Officers explored options for mitigation schemes as well as bidding for the relevant funding to deliver them.
A mitigation scheme can be only be delivered when there is FDGiA funding in place, supplemented with Local Levy and partnership funding, and after a viable business case is submitted to the Environment Agency and given technical approval.
In July 2020, bids for Local Levy funding were approved by the Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and the relevant business cases were submitted to the Environment Agency for approval, which was granted on the 26 August.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, Solihull Council’s representative on the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee says: “It is great news that we have managed to secure £440k funding from the Environment Agency to help protect properties within the borough from future flooding.
“We have already seen, in May 2018, what a devastating impact flooding can have on residents, their homes and the local community.
“My colleague, Councillor Hawkins, will be considering the various options for using this funding at his decision making session on 1 September and I look forward to seeing the funding provide protection for our residents.”
