Deprived communities across the country will benefit from new flood defences, under sweeping reforms unveiled by the government today (Tuesday 14 October), safeguarding England’s renewal by better protecting homes and businesses from flooding.

The last time rules on allocating flood defence funding were updated was in 2011. Since then, the system has failed to support more innovative solutions, like natural flood management, and was based on outdated evidence.

On top of that, the rules required a complex application process which put councils with limited resources at a disadvantage, meaning poorer communities struggled to build the defences they need.

In a major shift, the government has overhauled that complex approach and committed a record £10.5 billion to flood defences to protect

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