The funding announcement follows a parliamentary debate Toby secured on the need to improve flood defences.

Emma Hardy, the Flooding Minister who visited Chesterfield to visit flood-hit areas in January has now announced that the Environment Agency will be provided with £400,000 in funding to develop a detailed business case for the proposed River Hipper Flood Alleviation Scheme.

About 1,600 properties in the county were flooded following Storm Babet in October 2023, causing millions of pounds of damage to homes and businesses. In Chesterfield, more than 500 homes had internal flooding, with many residents forced out of their properties and some still unable to return. Toby secured a debate in Parliament in the summer regarding the flood defences needed in Chesterfield and to raise concerns about the lack of action since Storm Babet:

Toby Perkins MP leads Westminster Hall debate on improving flood defences in Chesterfield

Toby Perkins said, “I have received a letter from the Floods Minister, Emma Hardy, in response to issues I raised at my debate. I am delighted that this money has been provided so that the Environment Agency can move forward with a proper assessment of the plans. This is a significant investment and a massive step forward in hopefully securing the full funding needed for the full River Hipper Flood Alleviation Scheme.”

The letter from the Minster also confirmed that the Environment Agency and County Council are looking at a range of actions to increase flood resilience in the area, including the removal or raising of several bridges along the River Hipper and Rother to improve flow and reduce the risk of blockages; as well as opportunities for Natural Flood Management for the Hipper and Spital Brook catchments.

Toby added, “The new funding for the Hipper Scheme is great news, and I also welcome the Government’s announcement earlier this year of significant funding for flood defences, including a record £2.65 billion in the next two years, a £4 billion injection for the three years after that and an additional £7.9 billion over the next decade. However, the risk of flooding in Chesterfield means we need to see proper action as a matter of urgency.”

The new government has also prioritised funding for maintaining existing flood protections which are in a terrible state and nature-based solutions that are more effective at slowing the flow of rainwater than hard concrete solutions.

Toby has raised concerns about the length of time it is taking for these actions to be taken and will be meeting with Defra, Environment Agency and Derbyshire County Council to discuss the urgent need to protect Tapton Terrace.

He is also arranging a public meeting for residents from flood hit areas so that they can raise their concerns and questions with these agencies directly.