‘Flood Mary’ welcomes Government pledge to commit £4.2 billion on flood defences over three years but warns: “Now is the time to go further”

Peptalk Communications Ltd

Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, one of the UK’s most vocal flood resilience champions, has today welcomed the Government’s decision to commit GBP £4.2 billion over three years, from 2026-27 to 2028-29, to build and maintain flood defences, in its latest Spending Review.

Mary, who gave evidence just weeks ago to the Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry into flooding resilience, had made a direct plea for the Government not to cut vital funding for flood defences and community resilience measures.

Confirms Mary: “I am delighted that the Government has listened and that the Chancellor has recognised the importance of boosting the national flood budget. After all, for every GBP £1 invested in flood protection, GBP £8 is saved in avoided damages. I feel this is the right decision and an important moment for the thousands of families who live in fear of flooding every day.”

“When I gave evidence to the Committee, I spoke on behalf of the more than 2,000 flood victims I have personally spoken to over the past two winters. I made it clear that cutting the flood budget would have been reckless and a false economy so I’m hugely relieved that this message has been heard.”

However, Mary also stressed that this must not be the end of the conversation: “While protecting funding is vital, I believe we must now go further and turn words into action. Climate change means flood risk is only going to increase. We therefore need a truly ambitious long-term strategy to support communities - investment must not be flat-lined but increased so it is fit for the future.

“Many floods are less than 15cms in depth but can still cause huge damage. Mainstreaming Property Flood Resilience (PFR) would help enormously in protecting against this type of flooding. Making SuDS mandatory in new developments, improving flood warnings, and offering greater community-level support must all now be key priorities.”

Mary is now calling on Government to build on this positive decision by committing to:
• Add Property Flood Resilience (PFR) into building regulations for all new builds
• Enforce mandatory Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) on new build developments
• Start developing a ‘Flood Re 2.0’ so when Flood Re exits the market in 14 years, those who have installed flood resilience measures can obtain affordable flood insurance using Flood Performance Certificates
• Accelerate the development of Flood Performance Certificates and make them mandatory across the housing sector, including rentals
• Scale up investment in Natural Flood Management, working with farmers and landowners
• Overhaul the flood warning systems to reflect the new reality of faster, more severe flooding
• Support community initiatives, such as providing access to community flood stores, flood preparedness & planning education to help support the most vulnerable communities.

Concludes Mary: “Boosting the flood budget gives us a foundation but now we must build on it and stay ahead of the challenges climate change is posing. Every community deserves to feel safe, informed and supported. I will continue to fight for the practical changes and support that so many people desperately need.”

For more information or to access Mary’s free flood preparedness and planning advice guides, visit www.floodmary.com.

ENDS


Notes to Editors:

Mary Long-Dhonau OBE is available for interviews. Mary is happy to be interviewed live or recorded. To organise an interview, call Mary directly on: 07754 592534.

High resolution images of Mary are available to download here. [Credit: FloodMary.com]

Editor’s Contact:
Peppa Sheridan, Peptalk PR
07725 121189 / peppa@peptalkpr.co.uk