Around a fifth of flood defences in West Berkshire are sub standard according to figures from the Environment Agency.
Around a fifth of flood defences in West Berkshire are below the Environment Agency’s required standard, new figures show.
Exclusive data obtained by the BBC Shared Data Unit reveals that, across England, almost 8,500 flood defences are below required condition as winter approaches. As of 20 October, 8.6% of the 98,466 assets inspected by the Environment Agency were listed as below required condition.
In West Berkshire 69 of the 345 defence systems are below the required condition. About 6,500 of the national total are considered “high consequence” – meaning they protect multiple homes or businesses – and West Berkshire has 35 such assets.
With winter coming, the scale of the challenge is clear despite Government pledges. Ministers have promised £2.65bn over two years to build and restore more than 1,000 flood defences, and the floods minister said the Government has redirected money already.
Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “Flooding devastates communities, but this Government’s preparations mean our towns and cities are better protected than last year.
“We inherited flood assets in their worst condition on record.
“Our immediate response was to redirect £108m into maintenance and repair works.
“But this is just the start.
“We’re investing at least £10.5bn – the largest programme ever – in flood defences until 2036.
“This will build new defences and repair assets across the country, protecting our communities for decades to come.”
Last winter the UK was hit by six named storms; storms Bert and Connall caused severe flooding in England in November 2024. The Met Office says winters are getting wetter: six of the 10 wettest winter half-years for England and Wales have been in the 21st century so far.
Reading University flooding expert Professor Hannah Cloke warned the figures were worrying. She said: “All it would take would be a large storm to come through, or a series of storms that we’ve seen before, and then these assets would fail and there would be a massive problem.”
An inspection measures an asset against a ‘target condition’; if it’s below that it’s labelled below required condition (BRC). That doesn’t automatically mean structural failure – an asset can be BRC and still operate – but a more detailed assessment follows to decide whether repairs are needed, how urgent they are and what mitigation is required until full repairs are done.
The Environment Agency inspects and reports on flood risk assets across England, including its own and third-party assets. An agency spokesperson said: “Protecting communities in England from the devastating impact of flooding is a top priority – which is more important than ever as climate change brings more extreme weather.
“Each year, we complete up to 165,000 inspections of flood assets across the country and have recently redirected £108m into repairs and maintenance.
“This will help to ensure the strongest protection for nearby communities.
“If the performance of an asset is reduced, then immediate action is taken to ensure that flood risk continues to be effectively managed until the asset is fully repaired or replaced.”
The agency added: “We do not have legislative powers to require third parties to undertake repairs to their assets, but we do make them aware of the condition and associated risk and recommend they undertake repairs. It is a matter for each local authority to determine maintenance of its assets considering its own fiscal conditions.”
Locally, West Berkshire Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority and works with the Environment Agency, Thames Water, National Highways, the Canal & Rivers Trust, flood wardens and community groups. Responsibility for watercourses in the district is split: the Environment Agency covers main rivers (including the Thames, Kennet, Pang, Lambourn, Holy Brook, Sulham Brook and Foudry Brook), while West Berkshire Council is responsible for ordinary watercourses such as smaller streams, ditches and drains.
Failing defences can suffer concrete or masonry fractures, erosion at embankment bases, slumping, overgrown vegetation, blocked drains, corrosion or seepage. Flooding in West Berkshire has come from groundwater, rivers, surface water, sewers and highways, and pressures from climate change and tight budgets mean the risk is likely to increase.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
