The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has taken evidence and produced a report on flooding that is awaiting a Government response. My response is below the Committee Report.
Fourth Report of Session 2024–26 HC 550
Environmental Audit Committee
Summary
Flooding in England is a systemic and growing climate risk. River, coastal, surface water, and groundwater flooding are increasing in intensity and frequency under climate change, compounded by urbanisation and land-use change. Communities face repeated disruption, with long recovery times, emotional distress, damage to homes and businesses, and rising costs. Vulnerable households risk displacement and financial hardship, while repeated flooding produces profound social, economic, and health impacts,
including anxiety, loss of livelihood, and disruption to education and essential services. High-risk properties create affordability and insurance challenges for their owners, leaving markets and mortgages exposed.
While the Government has committed new capital funding, a welcome step, the scale of investment remains insufficient relative to overall flood risk. The current system, though delivering important defences, is fragmented and reactive, leaving major gaps in long-term resilience that must be urgently addressed.
A strategic, integrated approach is needed. Investment should shift from reactive, property focused schemes to long-term, locally led solutions at the level of entire river catchments, designed to reduce flood risk across communities and strengthen overall resilience. Residents need a single, trusted reporting line during flooding, while resilience should be built into homes through improved new-build standards and support for retrofitting existing properties. Development in high-risk areas must be carefully
managed………………….
The full 85 page report can be found here
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/49649/documents/265803/default/
MY RESPONSE dated 5/11/2025
Good afternoon
OPEN LETTER to the Committee
I am writing in response to your recent report HC550.
My concern is not about what your report says – but more about what has not been considered.
Briefly:
The Environment Agency (EA) completed the £100m world-class, award -winning MWEFAS project in 2002. Poor design and construction led to the majority of structures being damaged on first use at only 2/3rds capacity. I have no doubt that the new channel just relocated and exacerbated flooding of the undefended villages downstream.
A new project (the LTFRMS) was launched around 2008 to extend the MWEFAS. This was superseded by the River Thames Scheme (RTS).
The RTS consisted of three new channels and some weir improvements – but in 2020 RTS Channel One was removed from the project simply because the local authority (RBWM) was unwilling/unable to make a £53m partnership funding contribution. Consequently, the EA raised a new project, the DHEFIM.
Today – the MWEFAS has never been able to carry its design capacity of 215 cumecs, is falling apart and eats maintenance money. The cheap timber footbridges are collapsing.
What remains of the RTS project is dormant, incoherent, has no DCO and has consumed £100m.
The DHEFIM project that connects the MWEFAS to the RTS is stuck at an early stage.
I am concerned that these matters are not considered in your report and in particular that nobody appears to be aware of the issues, let alone accountable.
Regards
Ewan Larcombe
67 Lawn Close, Datchet SL3 9LA