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Floods roundup

Spending on flood protection in England is "insufficient" to maintain defences, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned. It said half of the country's defences were being maintained to a "minimal level" and were likely to "deteriorate faster". The NAO also said spending on them had been cut in real terms between 2010/11 and 2014/15. But Defra hit back saying the NAO had compared spending in two financial years rather than the lifetime of the Parliament when investment had increased 5% in real terms.

Environment Agency has awarded CH2M HILL the delivery partner contract for the Thames Estuary Asset Management Programme. This major tidal flood defence programme, valued at £300 million, represents the first 10 years of a 100 year programme developed by the Environment Agency to protect London and the Thames estuary from current and future tidal flooding through to 2100. Once underway the scheme will be one of the world's largest flood risk management programmes.  CH2M HILL will be working alongside Balfour Beatty and specialist suppliers including Critigen, Hunton Engineering Ltd, KGAL and Qualter Hall.