Environment Agency pulls funding to stop Bristol Harbour flooding

But Bristol city councillors said they shouldn’t be too ‘miffed’

The Environment Agency (EA) has pulled funding from Bristol City Council for work to prevent flooding in the Floating Harbour from large tides.

A report to councillors said the government body had stopped paying for ‘stop gate operations’, which keep the water level stable.

The authority challenged the decision to withdraw the £43,000 of funding but was unsuccessful as the EA, which is based in Bristol and oversees flood management, said it could no longer afford to subsidise the work.

Councillors said they should not necessarily be too ‘miffed’ because the agency was giving the council millions of pounds for other vital maintenance and repair work in the harbour.

Harbour operations manager Pete Seed told the harbour committee: “The stop-gate operations centre around keeping the harbour level where it should be.

“A lot of spring tides may occur throughout the year that are higher than the harbour levels, so action must take place to stop the water coming into the harbour.

“Worst case is during bigger tides, you are looking at potential flooding in the city if work is not undertaken by harbour staff.

“This was always paid for by the Environment Agency which reviewed that situation and have decided they no longer wish to fund our operation of the stop gates.”

Bristol City Council director of management of place Patsy Mellor said: “When the EA decided they were no longer going to fund that operation we did escalate it to the full length of the escalation procedure.

“That included me meeting with regional directors and [executive director of growth and regeneration] John Smith meeting with the national director to try to get them to change their minds.

“They felt their budget restraints didn’t enable them to do so, so we weren’t successful, but we did exhaust all avenues to change their minds and continue that funding.”

Committee chairman Cllr Andrew Brown (Lib Dem, Hengrove & Whitchurch Park) told the meeting on Tuesday, March 17, that the agency was funding a number of council projects, including £3million towards refurbishing Underfall Yard sluice gates and long-term flood prevention.

“So in our relationship with them in regard to this funding we have to be aware of the substantial amount of funding we get from them for other projects,” he said.

“There is a balance to be struck about how miffed we should feel about this £43,000 when they’re giving us millions elsewhere.”