David Cameron: My message to Yorkshire's flood victims

Read the Prime Minister's letter to The Yorkshire Post in full.
David Cameron during his visit to York in the wake of the floods last December. PA.David Cameron during his visit to York in the wake of the floods last December. PA.
David Cameron during his visit to York in the wake of the floods last December. PA.

In the wake of the devastation caused by the winter floods, The Yorkshire Post challenged the Government to set out a clear recovery plan for the region, including how it would protect homes and businesses in the future. Here is David Cameron’s response.

Thank you for your open letter of January 26 about the Government’s response to the winter flooding in Yorkshire. I felt it was right to respond comprehensively to the points you raised on flood investment in Yorkshire, following the announcements in the Budget. I am now able to do so.

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I was extremely saddened by the devastation brought about by the floods in Yorkshire and to see homes and businesses, including those in two of our iconic Northern Powerhouse cities, York and Leeds, under water.

Flooding in the centre of Hebden Bridge last December.Flooding in the centre of Hebden Bridge last December.
Flooding in the centre of Hebden Bridge last December.

The events in December were on a different scale to anything that has happened before in Yorkshire. Heavy rain fell on already saturated ground, leading to conditions far more severe than anything envisaged when Yorkshire’s flood defences were planned.

The River Aire was a metre higher than its previous record and in York the Foss flood barrier was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water and the Ouse came within a few centimetres of the top of the defences.

Flood defences were crucial and protected in excess of 22,000 properties in Yorkshire. However, now that the flood waters have receded, it is clear that in many places, we need to look again at our defences to make sure they can cope with the new conditions caused by increasingly extreme weather.

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This Government has committed more to flood defence and maintenance than any other but we are still looking at where we can do more.

Flooding in the centre of Hebden Bridge last December.Flooding in the centre of Hebden Bridge last December.
Flooding in the centre of Hebden Bridge last December.

I have been clear that we will do absolutely everything we can to help the people of Yorkshire who have been affected by the floods. I also ask for your patience, as this action cannot happen overnight. In the aftermath of the floods we made £40m available to carry out immediate repairs, including £10m to repair and upgrade the Foss barrier. Damage inspections have already been completed on 7,000 flood defence assets in Yorkshire, and 97 permanent and 19 temporary repairs have been completed with a further 284 repairs already under way.

Your letter asked about five key issues and I want to address each one in turn.

First, let me assure you that I am committed to better protecting Yorkshire’s homes and businesses from the threat of flooding. That is why we announced at the Budget an additional £115m of capital for schemes across Yorkshire, including Leeds, York and the Calder Valley.

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This extra investment will better protect 3,000 homes and 1,700 businesses and other properties. This brings the total we will be investing in Yorkshire flood defences by 2021 to over £400m, including multi-million pound projects in Skipton, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and the Humber estuary.

A new £65m scheme will also start for Leeds, covering the area north of the station and the wider Aire catchment to better protect 579 properties.

Second, it is wrong to suggest that more financial help is going to those in the South. We are investing £54 per person across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria, as well as the East Midlands and Northumbria.

In comparison, we are investing £42 per person in the South East in the current six-year programme. This additional investment in Yorkshire is on top of £2.3bn for flood defence schemes nationally, which will improve protection for 300,000 homes.

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Third, as one would expect after flooding on this scale, we are reviewing our flood defences, principally through the National Resilience Review.

However, my focus is on getting Yorkshire back on its feet with practical action, which is why I do not believe that a separate inquiry is necessary.

The Environment Secretary has already outlined how she is leading reforms to get the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs working better and more closely with local authorities and the Environment Agency, which will apply to work on flood risk too.

Fourth, in the wake of the floods, we immediately committed £200m to support recovery and repairs. Under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme, local authorities were given funding within three days of the flooding, including over £500 for every household affected to help with immediate costs, such as temporary accommodation.

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For businesses, we provided local authorities with funding worth over £2,500 for every business affected. This was part of a wider package of support including business rate and Council Tax relief as well as up to £5,000 per property to support resilient repairs.

So far West Yorkshire has received £15.7m and North Yorkshire approximately £1m as part of the recovery effort. This funding is being used to help more than 9,000 properties flooded across Yorkshire.

As you highlighted, tourist destinations such as the Jorvik Viking Centre were badly hit by the floods.

From York Minster to Honister Mine, Carlisle Castle to the Leeds Armouries, the North has some of the most iconic tourist attractions the UK has to offer.

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A tourism campaign is already under way to encourage people to visit the affected areas and reassure them that the areas are open for business. Tourism businesses, directly or indirectly impacted, are eligible for the flood recovery grant from the £6m made available by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Finally, the National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains.

The Environment Agency (EA) provides advice on whether or not to grant planning permission, with figures showing 99 per cent of proposed new homes had planning outcomes in line with the EA’s advice, but ultimately decisions rest with local authorities.

Since 2004, there has also been statutory Building Regulations guidance that promotes the use of flood resilient construction techniques and materials.

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The Government continues to work with industry on this with its most recent updated guidance, published in 2015.

I hope that this letter provides reassurance that the Government remains focused on helping people of Yorkshire get their homes, businesses and communities back up and running, as well as learning lessons to ensure Yorkshire can be better protected from flooding in future.

Our 56-day wait for a response

December 26 – Flooding caused by Storm Eva leaves swathes of Yorkshire underwater.

December 28 – David Cameron is heckled by a flood victim as he visits York to survey the damage.

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January 26 – The Yorkshire Post publishes an open letter to David Cameron calling on him to set out what additional help the Government will provide to assist the region’s recovery and give a firm commitment to funding future flood defences.

March 11 – This newspaper declines to print a generic “love letter” to Yorkshire, written in the Prime Minister’s name, which only made passing reference to the floods.

March 22 – The Yorkshire Post receives a response from the PM, eight weeks after our original letter.