The Local Government Association has called for the government to think again on funding councils for their new ‘flood role’:

The Chairman of the LGA’s Environment Board, Paul Bettison, said: “Town halls are ready to take the lead on improving flood risk management but it should be clear that they will need funding to properly protect people’s homes.” Calling on the Government to look again at its calculations he added: “When councils spend money clearing up after floods it comes from budgets for other services, so it is wrong to say that councils can pay for this new role by cutting spending on flood clear up.”

 It can sometimes be a good thing for councils to be told to ‘do more with less’ – especially if it improves efficiency and stops unnecessary spending – but I don’t buy it in this case. The Floods and Water Bill would give councils such a clear set of new responsibilities – coordinating water companies and the Environment Agency, ensuring that drainage systems work etc – that it’s got to involve the spending of some extra money somewhere.

I don’t know whether climate change will lead to more flooding in the future. But if it does – and if the effects of climate change are going to be as serious as some people predict - then I’m sure we won’t be able to deal with it on the cheap.