Read my letter to DEFRA urging the government to provide funding for the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS).
Southampton is increasingly at risk from coastal, river and surface water flooding. We are uniquely exposed to flood risk due to the city being between the River Test and Itchen, which meet in the tidal estuary Southampton Water. We need to take action now.
Dear Secretary of State,
Re: Flood Defence Capabilities in Southampton
I am writing to you regarding the increasing threat of flooding in Southampton and the urgent need to provide funding for the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS), alongside a broader programme of flood defence and resilience investment for my constituency of Southampton Test and the wider city.
As you know, Southampton is a vital city in both regional and national terms. With a population of over 250,000, it is one of the UK’s key port cities and an essential hub for maritime trade, logistics, higher education and high-tech industry. The Port of Southampton alone contributes billions to the UK economy annually and supports tens of thousands of jobs across the region and beyond.
Very worryingly this critical infrastructure and the communities surrounding it are at growing risk from coastal, fluvial and surface water flooding. Southampton is uniquely exposed to flood risk due to the city being between the River Test and Itchen, which meet in the tidal estuary Southampton Water, and its topography is very low-lying.
Roughly 10% of the city is already in tidal flood zones, and many critical areas are projected to be submerged under future sea-level and tidal scenarios without intervention. According to data published in the city’s flood risk strategy, rising sea levels could render significant parts of the city uninhabitable or economically nonviable by 2050, and some parts as early as 2030, if defences are not improved.
Please see attached for the map by Climate Central which shows land projected to be below annual flood level in Southampton in 2050 – areas in my constituency including the town centre, Millbrook, St Denys, Redbridge, and key economic and cultural infrastructure like Southampton Port, the National Oceanography Centre and even St Marys Football stadium are predicted to be below sea level in 2050. Many of these areas are vulnerable to flooding right now, and may be even be under water by 2030.
The RIFAS scheme is a welcome step toward protecting a 3.5 kilometre stretch of the western riverfront which aims to safeguard 1,100 and 600 businesses over the long-term, and 100 homes and 200 businesses in the short-term. However, I am very concerned that the Environment Agency have now withdrawn funding for the RIFAS scheme citing rising costs and design changes, causing a funding gap now exceeding £50 million. Following this, Southampton City Council has temporarily suspended the project, while seeking alternative funding avenues to resume it. While I naturally welcome your department’s commitments to invest £7.9bn over ten years for flood defences, is there any intention to allocate part of this funding specifically to RIFAS or other related flood resilience work in Southampton? I would welcome DEFRA making targeted funding available to Southampton City Council to fill the gap left by the Environment Agency withdrawal.
Also, could the department consider granting exceptional or accelerated eligibility to Southampton under future rounds of the national funding programme, given its acute exposure? If we are to properly defend the city against flooding, I would argue that the RIFAS scheme itself needs to be expanded to protect more people, as it currently would only protect a small proportion of those vulnerable to flood risk. I would also ask your department to reconsider funding the RIFAS scheme and even expanding the RIFAS scheme, and to work with Southampton City Council and the Environment Agency to develop a more comprehensive package of flood risk management measures for the wider city
Given the national importance of the port, the scale of population exposed to potential displacement, and the escalating cost of inaction as climate change intensifies, I believe it is essential that Southampton receives the attention and investment for the flood defence capabilities it needs.
It is also crucial for wider economic growth ambitions for the future of Southampton, including freeport plans, as well as the ongoing work of the Renaissance Board, and links to Local Government Reorganisation discussions being settled in the next few months. I would be grateful for your thoughts on how we might work together to secure the future of this vital city and to ensure the safety and prosperity of my constituents.
With best wishes,
Satvir Kaur MP
Member of Parliament for Southampton Test