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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the performance of flood prevention and mitigation measures in Somerset in 2020.

The Environment Agency's (EA) top priority has been to maintain flood defence assets to ensure communities in Somerset and across England are incident ready and resilient for potential flooding this winter. The EA has strengthened working arrangements with the support of delivery partners in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The EA's flood risk assets have performed satisfactorily across Somerset. During 2020 the EA operated coastal flood defences to protect people, properties and low lying land in Somerset. The risk from seasonal wet weather in October and most of December for the most part was managed without issue although it meant catchments were very wet. However, both Storm Alex and Storm Bella, sadly resulted in flooding.

During Storm Alex, over 100mm of rain (more than the monthly average of rain) fell in two days on the steep sided upper reaches of the River Sheppey and this resulted in flooding at Croscombe and Shepton Mallett (initial estimates are that 20 properties flooded in total). Roads were also flooded from surface water. This is a complex flooding issue and the EA is assisting Somerset County Council with its Section 19 investigation (Flood and Water Management Act) into the cause, likelihood of recurrence and need for measures to reduce the risk.

Over Christmas, Storm Bella on wet, saturated catchments generated rivers flows in excess of the River Parrett and Tone's capacity. This passed into the adjacent flood plains and moors, Currymoor, Haymoor, Wetmoor, Westmoor Allermoor and the King's Sedgemoor Drain. Using these areas as water storage is an established approach and has been a frequent and normal winter occurrence over many decades.

The EA has been using its pumps and other assets to reduce river levels, and clear water from the moors, making use of the enhanced pumping capacity at Currymoor pumping station.