Having met with Flooding Minister, Emma Hardy MP in April to discuss Channel 1 of the River Thames Scheme, Windsor MP Jack Rankin has received new details of a promised public consultation into the way flood defences are funded.
It follows a meeting on Monday between Jack Rankin MP and members of Datchet Parish Council where short-, medium- and long-term defences for Datchet and the surrounding villages were discussed. The group backed the reinstatement of Channel 1 of the River Thames Scheme as the most effective, long-term solution to avoiding devastating flooding seen in 2013/15, and last January, as well as a series of smaller, nearer -term protections for the immediate period.
The consultation on flood resilience projects is open until 29th July 2025 and is available on Defra’s website.
In her letter, Minister Hardy said:
“The consultation will seek views on how projects are prioritised each year for delivery, such as on their value for money or whether certain outcomes should be bolstered, such as flood resilience in deprived communities. The eight-week consultation is open to everyone and all stakeholders, including organisations that play a role in flood resilience, community groups and members of the public, are invited to be part of the consultation.”
Commenting, Jack Rankin MP said:
“I welcome the Department’s consultation in response to concerns about funding crucial flood defences like Channel 1 of the River Thames Scheme.
“RBWM as a local authority is simply too small and lacks the financial resilience to be able to cough up the required partnership funding under the current system..
“I’ve had productive conversations with local stakeholders and I will be feeding into the Department extensively. I’d strongly encourage all interested constituents and groups to submit their views and support the funding of Channel 1 as national strategic infrastructure.”
