Government urged to give Doncaster 'vital' flood defences cash

Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones and her Labour cabinet called on ministers to make good on their promise to ‘level up the north’

A recent report detailed the work that has been going on in the borough along the River Don catchment since the floods of November 2019.

Speaking at a recent cabinet meeting, Mayor Jones said: “We need to see joined up investment on all of this if we are to protect Doncaster residents from the increasing impact of rising tidal growth. This is why the council is working hard with partners to make the case to Government for the improvements we will need.”

Around £50 million has been earmarked for flood schemes across Yorkshire & Humber. Work in the Upper Don Valley was mentioned but Doncaster was left out.

This caused a backlash from Labour councillors but a Government spokesman said the work in Sheffield would ‘benefit Doncaster down stream’.

The floods of November 2019 saw over 4,000 homes evacuated, 716 residential properties, over 142 businesses hit and thousands of hectares of farmland flooded which also resulted in over £4 million worth of damage to the borough’s highways.

Coun Nigel Ball added: “A point on the Government’s funding regime which quite frankly is wholly inadequate for South Yorkshire.

“The majority of it is going to Sheffield but it seems like Doncaster has been left out of the equation by this Government.

“There needs to be some funding into this area on flood protection and there is a lot of talk about levelling up the North but it's time the Government started showing their commitment to that and to put their hands in their pockets.”

Mayor Jones added: "I want to emphasise that Doncaster is at the forefront of the climate emergency and particularly vulnerable to long-term flooding that links to changing impacts on rainfall and river levels.

“This is not an excuse for being unprepared but it is a huge challenge to which we must rise and it is a clarion call to attract as much support and investment as possible to this borough from Government that has made a commitment to level up the North.”

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