By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
A Southampton MP has vowed to continue making the case for the city after it missed out on receiving any money from a £1.4 billion national flood defence investment.
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The government announced support for more than 70 schemes across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Sussex to better protect thousands of homes and businesses.
None of these projects, which are scheduled to be take place in 2026/27, related to Southampton.
Aerial photo of the Itchen Bridge in Southampton. Photo: SCC
Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said: “Flooding is a very real issue for Southampton, with communities such as St Denys already experiencing the impacts.
“Being a coastal city, we should all be concerned about the flooding risks we face in the future.
“I have been working closely with Southampton City Council, the Environment Agency and colleagues from across the region to look at how we can best strengthen our city’s flood defences and what more needs to be done.
“While this latest round of funding is more focused on schemes in areas that have been most directly affected by recent severe flooding, I will of course continue to work with partners to make the case for the investment Southampton needs to protect homes, businesses and communities from future flood risk.”
The latest funding announcement comes a year after the Environment Agency withdrew its allocation for the major River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme, which is on hold due to a funding gap of more than £50 million.
The project relates to a 2.2-mile stretch along the west bank of the river, with the aim of reducing the immediate present-day risk of flooding to more than 150 homes, almost 300 businesses, and key road and rail links.
Addressing the future flood risk is seen as key to the development and regeneration of the area.
John Savage, councillor responsible for environment and net zero, said: “We maintain our disappointment with the Environment Agency’s decision to withdraw funding from the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS).
“The Southampton Renaissance Vision is helping to drive improvement for the Itchen riverside, including investment in resilient infrastructure and regeneration to protect against future flood events.
“Managing flood risk and keeping people safe will remain our top priority as we continue our current local-level approach.”
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