From a BBC Report dated 10/12/2025
Thousands of flood defences meant to protect multiple homes or businesses in England were below the required condition when winter began, a new analysis has found.
The 6,498 “high consequence” defences were among about 8,500 that were not fully working as intended due to erosion, damage or being overgrown.
Exclusive figures obtained by the BBC show that, as of 20 October, almost 9% of the 98,000 defences inspected by the Environment Agency were below condition.
While the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs says record levels of investment have improved the defence network since 2024, stark disparities remain regionally.
More than 40% of flood defences were below the standard in North Tyneside, Brentwood in Essex and Hart in Hampshire – the highest proportions in the country.
A fifth of all the defences along the Thames corridor, passing Oxfordshire, parts of Surrey and Greater London, were also failing to meet the required condition due to a mix of record rainfall and tidal storm surges.
The complete report may be found here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgkexm0gpvpo
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