Burnley MP Oliver Ryan pays tribute to government, Burnley Council and Environment Agency in rescuing Padiham flood defence scheme

As exclusively revealed in the Burnley Express yesterday, Burnley Council and the Environment Agency have been successful in securing the government funding for the vital infrastructure scheme.

The Environment Agency has also now claried that the funds have been identified from underspends elsewhere in the national capital programme. This re-allocation of underspend has not prevented other schemes from progressing.

Burnley and Padiham’s new Labour MP Oliver Ryan said: “As Padiham's Member of Parliament I'm really delighted that the new Government has pledged to fund the final phase of Padiham's essential flood defences, after the previous government left only a broken promise and a ‘paused’ scheme. Finally some assurance for businesses and residents after the catastrophic 2015 floods.

“It's only right, too, that I also mention our previous MP, Antony Higginbotham, who campaigned on this issue over his tenure. I'd like to also pay tribute to the Environment Agency and Burnley Council for their work on this over the last few years. I know Councillors for Padiham John Harbour, Barbara Dole and Alun Lewis have been banging the drum on this for some years.”

Fiona Duke, Environment Agency flood risk manager for Lancashire, said: “We understand the devastating impact flooding can have, which is why reducing flood risk for the people of Padiham is one of our top priorities and our teams have been working on the flood scheme with residents, Burnley Borough Council and local organisations since 2018.

“While having to pause the scheme was frustrating, we are delighted we can now carry on delivering the scheme to better protect local communities from flooding.”

The Padiham Flood Risk Management Scheme includes the construction of flood walls, earth embankments, and modifications to highways, aimed at better protecting over 150 homes, businesses, public buildings, and key infrastructure in central Padiham.

The project is a collaborative effort between Burnley Council, the Environment Agency, and other partners. This additional funding supplements the funding that has been secured from various partners including the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

It was revealed in May that the costs of the project had more than quadrupled since 2020 to £37m.