Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the reclassification of the St Ives Staunch as a navigation, rather than a flooding, asset on the risk of flooding from the River Great Ouse in Huntingdon constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) have assessed a range of data and evidence linked to the St Ives Staunch Sluice. This has included hydraulic modelling and real-world data from flood events. The evidence shows that the asset provides very limited flood risk benefit but is important for maintaining water levels for navigation. The change in the primary purpose of the asset reflects this information.

The EA will carry out works to the asset to support Navigation in the area, within the next two years. They have also committed to providing regular updates to keep the community informed.

The reclassification has no impact on the amount of flood risk funding that the asset is eligible for, and the community can be reassured that the current condition of the asset does not have a significant impact on the risk of property flooding.