Rishi Sunak, the UK chancellor, will announce plans to increase funding for flood defences to £5.2bn in his Budget next week, after a winter in which large parts of Britain were inundated.
Mr Sunak said the money, which was intended to cut flood risk in England by 11 per cent by 2027, amounted to a doubling of spending on new flood and coastal defence schemes compared to the past six years.
The spending is part of a big package of infrastructure projects to be announced in the Budget on March 11, which is expected to include investment in road, rail and broadband projects.
The investment in flood defences comes after a grim winter for many towns and villages; Boris Johnson was strongly criticised last month for failing to visit some of the communities affected.
The extra money is intended to help build 2,000 flood and coastal defence projects, offering better protection for more than 300,000 homes over the next six years, as the country grapples with the consequences of climate change.
The Treasury said the extra money amounted to an additional £1bn compared to previously announced plans; it was part of a £100bn infrastructure programme over the next five years funded by increased borrowing.
Mr Sunak will claim that the new spending puts the government on track to meet the investment level recommended by the government’s independent adviser on infrastructure, the National Infrastructure Commission.
The chancellor is also expected to announce a £120m fund to repair defences that were damaged during the recent storms, bringing at least 300 schemes back to working order.
Mr Sunak, said: “This Budget will be about delivering on our promises to the British people, and levelling up all parts of the UK is a big part of that.
“Communities up and down Britain have been hit hard by the floods this winter — so it is right that we invest to protect towns, families, and homes across the UK.”
