Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency has launched a robust defence of the Agency’s flood defence work in response to two separate articles in The Times and The Telegraph newspapers published on Tuesday 18th February.

Writing to The Times in response to a leading article “Eye of the Storm” published on Tuesday, the EA Chair said the article had entirely ignored “the incredible work undertaken” by Environment Agency staff who have been working around the clock to protect over 85,000 properties from the severe weather and record breaking river levels we have seen this winter.

However, she went on to say that the Agency agreed that a long term view was needed to prepare for the climate of the future, pointing out that last year it had published a draft flood strategy which looks at the next 30 years. “It is both the ‘instrument for change’ and strategic priority-setting you say we should be doing.”

The approach includes building defences but also means avoiding inappropriate development in the floodplain, working with nature to slow the flow of water and ensuring our homes, businesses and infrastructure are designed and built to be more resilient.

Emma Howard Boyd made the same points in response to an article published in The Telegraph "Don't expect your properties to be protected, Environment Agency warns", saying the article had ignored the efforts of Agency staff.

The country had seen two storms in as many weeks, she said, both leading to record-breaking river levels, and resulting in hundreds of flooded homes. However, she went to acknowledge:

“The nature of extreme weather like this means that flood defences cannot prevent flooding everywhere, all of the time. It is likely that we will see similar events, in more places across the country, due to climate change.”

The EA Chair said it was necessary to build climate resilience into everything we do, whether by avoiding inappropriate development in the floodplain, working with nature to slow the flow of water or building homes, businesses and infrastructure to be more flood-resilient.

Commenting on the article which said concerns had been raised about the Agency’s approach to dredging, the letter says the EA will always dredge where necessary, “but with rainfall of the kind we have seen, it would do little to protect homes and businesses.”

Emma Howard Boyd told The Telegraph:

“Our long-term strategy, developed with communities and leaders in flood and coastal risk management, addresses these challenges. Key to this is levelling up resilience to flooding and coastal change across the country.”