The Treasury’s announcement that 300,000 homes are to be protected by more than 1,400 flood defence projects has been welcomed by Industrial Penstocks Limited, who say that there is now also huge scope for homeowners, industry and utilities to invest in their own safeguard measures.

The Committee on Climate Change has today welcomed the £2.3bn investment, aimed at preventing £30bn of damage, but says that funding for maintenance of existing defences is being neglected.

Paul Higginson, Director at Industrial Penstocks, part of the Ham Baker Group, commented: 

“Just ahead of the winter months we are already seeing a big demand for our products, especially from homeowners. People and businesses no longer want to leave things to chance, especially when they can readily buy a simple self-erecting flood barrier that will automatically rise from an unobtrusive sunken trench to protect their property. The same system can be also used by utilities to protect vulnerable remote water-pumping or electricity sub-stations”.

The CCC, an independent body that advises the UK government has said that only a quarter of flood defences were being fully maintained, leaving the remainder to degrade and ultimately require replacement at extra cost. 

Assets were in decline before the storms of last winter, mirroring the reduction in maintenance spending over the period. The committee also pointed to the fact that the Environment Agency now had 800 fewer flood risk management staff than in 2010/11, including in asset management and incident control.  

The Ham Baker Group is among a host of exhibitors at this week’s Flood Defence and Protection in London – organisers are expecting record levels of visitors to the two day conference and exhibition.