Councillors are vowing to keep up the pressure on the government over better funding for authorities with drainage boards after a new group has been formed.
A Flood Resilience Partnership has been created with drainage boards and the Environment Agency.
South Holland District Council’s Paul Redgate, who has led the group of authorities looking to get more funding to compensate for what it has to give to drainage boards, said he was ‘slightly’ concerned about the new partnership.
He was responding to a question from Coun Bryan Alcock at last week’s meeting of the Full Council.
“There will only be one amount of money, I suspect, and we know the EA doesn’t have a surplus,” Coun Alcock said. “The good work you’re doing may be undermined by this new organisation which, we know for certain, actually do need more funding than anybody’s got.”
Coun Redgate answered: “Am I concerned? A little, but the hope is we can reach out and they can help us and we can help them.
“Anyone new coming to the table runs the risk of an impact.
“We need to be having that dialogue with the partnership so they understand our position as much as understand their’s and to make sure we’re not tripping each other up.
“Fundamentally we are looking for a solution for the local tax payer, their’s is about getting the right capital investment to make sure what they’re doing is fit for purpose.”
Coun Redgate told the council that the own body of authorities of drainage boards was continuing to expand.
South Holland has received £335,000 as a one-off payment, but the authorities want a long term solution, ideally that drainage boards can get their own share of the council tax rather than it coming out of the district council’s allowance.
“While the allocation is a great relief and shows the effort of lobbying on this matter, it’s important to recognise that work still needs to be done and this really doesn’t resolve the problem this authority faces,” he said. “Things are progressing and as a body we’re now up to 37 authorities.
“Next week we’re gathering together to put large pressure on the Treasury in pushing on a long term solution. It’s the only way it is going to work for us.
“The pressure this authority is facing means things will not be sustainable and this authority, along with many others, will have to make very difficult decisions.
“We’re hopeful we can put the pressure on all the MPs and lobby on our behalf and hopefully get a solution for this financial year.”
Coun Redgate said the authority was facing a £67,000 overspend and that its housing budget was ‘under extreme pressure’ but that the authority was making ‘good progress’ on its savings targets.
