Bristol needs an extra £81 million to pay for defences on the river Avon protecting the city from the “humongous threats” of floods and rising sea levels. Plans for new flood defences on the Avon are currently being drawn up but council chiefs say more cash is needed.
At the moment a severe flood from the Avon could see 1,300 homes and businesses flooded, with this risk expected to grow from climate change. Thousands of new homes are also planned for areas at risk of flooding, like St Phillip’s Marsh and the Western Harbour.
Bristol City Council is working with the Environment Agency and the West of England combined authority on plans for defences along the river Avon. Over the next decade the defences could cost £216 million, but council chiefs still need to find a third of that money.
