The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency and Floods Minister Emma Hardy have announced a £50 million investment for Somerset Council to strengthen flood resilience across homes, farms and businesses.
The funding was announced on Tuesday 9 June 2026 after Somerset faced severe flooding during the winter. The county recorded its second wettest January on record, with more than double the average rainfall.
Flooding continued into February, leading Somerset Council to declare a major incident. Existing defences, deployed pumps and Environment Agency teams helped protect 2,860 properties during the crisis.
£50 million funding for Somerset flood resilience
The £50 million investment will fund a range of measures intended to help Somerset better withstand future flooding. The government said the funding will support homes, farms and businesses across the county.
The planned measures include improved water management infrastructure, enhanced flood defence schemes, nature-based solutions and better watercourse maintenance. Ministers said the work is intended to reduce pressure on emergency responders during future incidents.
- Water management: funding will support infrastructure aimed at improving how flood water is managed across affected areas.
- Flood defences: investment will help strengthen schemes designed to protect homes, farms and businesses.
- Nature-based measures: the programme may include approaches that use natural systems to slow or manage water flows.
- Watercourse maintenance: support will go towards keeping rivers and other channels better maintained during flood risk periods.
Winter flooding placed pressure on Somerset communities
Somerset experienced exceptional rainfall at the start of 2026. The government said January was the county’s second wettest on record, with rainfall more than double the average.
The continued flooding into February led Somerset Council to declare a major incident. During the response, pumps were deployed and Environment Agency teams worked around the clock alongside existing local defences.
Somerset Flooding Response Indicators
| Indicator | Recent Movement | Context |
|---|---|---|
| January rainfall | Second wettest on record | The government said Somerset received more than double the average rainfall. |
| Emergency status | Major incident declared | Somerset Council declared the incident as flooding continued into February. |
| Properties protected | 2,860 properties | The government said existing defences, pumps and Environment Agency teams helped prevent flooding. |
Support for farms and rural livelihoods
The government said Somerset is one of England’s most important agricultural counties. Repeated flooding can affect the viability of farms and the rural communities that depend on them.
The investment is intended to help farms and rural businesses better withstand future flooding events. The government said improved flood resilience can reduce disruption to agricultural land and support communities where farming remains an important part of the local economy.
- Farm protection: measures are intended to reduce the impact of repeated flooding on agricultural land.
- Rural communities: support is aimed at areas where farming remains important to local employment and economic activity.
- Agricultural resilience: the government said improved flood protection can help reduce disruption to farmland and rural businesses.
Recent flood defence work in Somerset
New and improved flood defences have come online in Somerset over the last two years. The government said this work has helped better protect 4,916 properties.
The defences have also been linked to the protection of valuable farmland from regular flooding. The government said the schemes have helped improve protection for homes, businesses and agricultural land in areas affected by recurring flood risk.
Wider national flood resilience programme
The Somerset funding forms part of the government’s wider £10.5 billion flood resilience programme, which supports new defences and restoration work across England through 2036.
The government said 250 projects had been completed since 2024, helping better protect almost 62,000 properties across the country. That figure exceeded the Environment Agency’s target by nearly 10,000 properties.
National Flood Resilience Measures
| Indicator | Recent Movement | Context |
|---|---|---|
| National programme | £10.5 billion to 2036 | The government said the programme will deliver new defences and restore existing ones across England. |
| Projects completed | 250 since 2024 | The government said completed projects have helped better protect almost 62,000 properties. |
| Flood defence condition | 93% at required standard | The Environment Agency said it exceeded its 92% target for maintaining flood infrastructure. |
National Flood Forecasting and Warning Service
The Environment Agency said wider national resilience measures include a new National Flood Forecasting and Warning Service. The 170-strong team brings flood forecasting, modelling and warning functions into one national operation.
The agency said the service is intended to deliver a faster and more consistent response to flooding events. It forms part of wider work to improve how communities are warned about flood risks.
Flood defence maintenance targets
The Environment Agency said 93% of flood defences are now meeting their required standard. That exceeds the previous target of 92% and follows a £72 million reprioritisation in 2025 to repair and restore flood assets across England.
The government will also raise its ambition for maintaining the most important flood assets. The target for keeping assets that protect the largest numbers of homes and businesses in good condition will rise to 93.5% in 2026/27.
Stakeholder Comments
Ministerial Comments
Emma Hardy, Floods Minister said;
“Somerset has faced the full force of extreme weather this year, which I saw when I visited earlier this year. The communities here deserve more than a temporary fix which is why this government is investing. This £50 million funding in the protection of homes, farms and livelihoods in Somerset for years to come.”
Somerset Council leader Bill Revans
Councillor Bill Revans, Leader of Somerset Council said;
“We’d like to thank the Minister for visiting Somerset during the major incident and meeting with the Council, our partners and residents. We are pleased the Government has listened to our calls for urgent action and welcome this vital investment into the future of Somerset. This winter has shown how Somerset’s unique environment is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and it is clear we must help our communities to adapt and become more resilient.”
Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy
Philip Duffy, Environment Agency Chief Executive said;
“The Environment Agency is working year-round to keep homes and businesses safe from flooding. As extreme weather becomes more frequent, we need to adjust how we deliver flood schemes and improve how we warn people of impending flood risks. Our new National Flood Forecasting and Warning Service is key to this.”
The £50 million Somerset funding adds local investment to wider national work on flood resilience, infrastructure maintenance and public warning systems. The announcement follows severe winter flooding in the county and is focused on homes, farms, businesses and rural communities. The Environment Agency also reported national progress on completed projects, asset condition and its new forecasting and warning service.
Sources: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Environment Agency, Emma Hardy MP, Somerset Council, and Philip Duffy, Environment Agency Chief Executive.
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organisation delivering timely insights from global official sources. Combines AI-analysed research with human-edited accuracy and context.
