Last year, Jeff Smith MP welcomed the Flooding Minister Emma Hardy to Manchester Withington to visit areas impacted by flooding. This week, he has helped secure over £2.4m in new flood investment for the Manchester Withington area which will better protect homes and businesses from future flooding incidents. This is part of £1.4bn investment nationally including;

• 830m in funding for flood schemes for 2026/27 – part of record investment of at least £10.5 billion between 2024 and 2036
• More than 600 schemes to receive funding across England, meaning better protection for tens of thousands of homes and businesses
• More than £260 million made available for managing, maintaining and repairing assets including for damage following Storms Goretti and Chandra
• £300 million for natural flood management over the next decade – the biggest investment ever

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses across England – including in Manchester Withington – will benefit from strengthened protection against flooding thanks to a £830 million investment in new and upgraded flood defences, the Environment Agency announced.

More than 600 projects will be funded in 2026/27, improving protection for 29,000 homes and businesses, and helping communities manage the growing risks of flooding and coastal erosion.

The programme includes major flood barriers, strengthened embankments, beach management work and natural flood management schemes that slow water flow upstream — all helping shield communities from the increasingly severe weather experienced in recent winters.

The funding is part of a £1.4 billion investment in flood defences in 2026/27 and sits within the largest flood resilience programme in England’s history, with at least £10.5 billion being invested between 2024 and 2036 to protect homes, businesses and critical infrastructure better. It also marks a decisive break from 14 years of decline in flood asset condition that left too many communities dangerously exposed.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

“Flooding can turn lives upside down in a matter of hours, destroying homes, shutting down businesses and leaving communities facing months of heartbreak and recovery. This £1.4 billion investment will help protect tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the country and strengthen the defences families rely on when the worst happens. We’ve already stepped in to stabilise our flood assets after years of decline and this funding goes further, creating thousands of jobs, protecting communities from billions of pounds of damage, and unlocking new homes and businesses in places made safer from flooding.”

Manchester Withington MP, Jeff Smith said:

“Flooding has become a growing concern for residents in parts of south Manchester in recent years. I have been pushing for greater investment in our local flood defences, and last year I invited the flooding minister, Emma Hardy, to visit Didsbury flood basin and see first-hand the flooding damage along the River Mersey. This latest investment from the Labour government will make a real difference to many of my constituents and help protect homes and businesses in Manchester Withington.”