DESPITE a £29million sea defence project in Weston, residents are being warned that coastal flooding cannot be prevented altogether.

The Environment Agency has announced plans to increase flood protection to 200,000 homes and businesses in England and Wales by 2015.

The organisation has launched a 2010-2015 strategy to help protect people from climate change.

Included in the plans is the sea defence work currently taking place in Weston.

The defences, which are expected to protect 4,500 homes from the risk of coastal flooding, are just one of a handful of projects being organised around the country.

But at an annual London conference, the Environment Agency warned that more and more properties are facing an increasing risk of coastal erosion and river flooding due to climate change and population growth.

The agency’s director of flooding and coastal erosion risk management, Robert Runcie, said: “The agency plans to protect an additional 200,000 properties from coastal and flooding erosion by 2015.

“Since 2007 we have completed 102 defences and we are progressing well with the one in Weston.

“However, no one can prevent flooding entirely and so people should check the Environment Agency’s website to see if their postcode is at risk and sign up to receive free flood warnings.”

The number of properties in England and Wales at significant risk from flooding could increase from 570,000 last year to more than 900,000 by 2035.

Since 2007 the agency has completed 102 flood defence schemes protecting more than 63,000 additional homes in England and Wales.

In 2009 it started the Weston project and another £50 million scheme in Nottingham. Work is also underway in Kent.

The agency is already planning to manage a predicted one metre rise in sea levels – the Thames Barrier and associated schemes which protect 1.25million people in the capital will need an upgrade or will be replaced by 2070 to cope with the damaging effects of climate change.

By 2115 there will be a predicted 10 per cent increase in wave height and wind speeds will amplify the threat from coastal surges.

To sign up to flood warnings visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk

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