UK: Flood defences 'skewed towards wealthy families and regions'

The system for allocating taxpayers’ money to flood defence schemes favours protecting wealthy families and those in the south-east, analysis suggests.

The government has said it applies a strict economic formula to deciding where funding should be spent. But an investigation by the Press Association reveals the methods to determine where funding goes focus on the value of assets protected – which could tilt the system towards richer households and those in parts of the country where house prices are higher.

It has prompted calls for a fairer system to prevent the poor being worst hit by flooding events, which are set to increase as the climate changes.