The Local Government Association is warning that vital investment in local growth and infrastructure projects could suffer if government does not step in to ease the cost of flood repairs.
Councils are now calling for Government help to cover the repair bill estimated to run into hundreds of millions of pounds following the extreme weather this winter.
The Association is also calling for the Department for Transport to create a highways maintenance emergency fund following the recent spate of heavy rain and flooding. A similar fund was created following similar severe flooding in 2007 and was designed to help affected local authorities with capital funding for emergency and unforeseeable capital works to their local roads network.
The severe weather has left behind a trail of destruction to coastal defences and infrastructure and caused further damage to already dilapidated highways.
Councillor Mike Jones, Chair of the LGA's Environment and Housing Board, said:
"The severe weather has left behind a daunting trail of destruction for councils to clear-up and fix. We were already facing a £10.5 billion repair backlog to bring our highways up to scratch and the damage to our roads by this recent flooding will be considerable and costly.”
"While we are pleased the Bellwin Scheme will be activated, the fact remains that Bellwin is severely limited as it does not cover most capital costs. An emergency highways maintenance fund would provide essential support to those councils who now face hefty and unexpected repair bills as a result of the flooding.”
"These bills are likely to place significant financial pressures on already stretched council finances and it is vital that local communities are not left to suffer as a result. Local communities and local economies need to recover as quickly as possible. This can only be achieved through extra government cash which covers repairs excluded from the Bellwin Scheme."
Based on initial information supplied to the Asphalt Industry Alliance's ALARM survey of council highways managers in England and Wales, the estimated road repair cost of the most recent spell of flooding is around £400 million - the full results will be published in April 2014.
The 2009 storms also cost an estimated £400 million to repair damaged local roads while £338 million was the repair bill reported in the 2013 ALARM to cover effects of 2012's extreme rainfall.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.