Somerset flood resilience: fresh calls for dredging and permanent pumps

11 October 2026

← Village News · 11 October 2026

Somerset flood resilience: calls for more dredging and pumping

Published 11 October 2026. Somerset’s £50 million flood-resilience programme is attracting renewed calls for river dredging and greater permanent pumping capacity. These are requests for changes to the programme, not announcements that the work has been commissioned.

On 11 October, local reporting said Sir Ashley Fox MP had written to Somerset Council leader Bill Revans, arguing that the county’s proposals should place greater emphasis on dredging along the River Parrett and other waterways, and pumping capacity at Dunball and Elson’s Clyse. Read the original 11 October report →

What Somerset Council has agreed

Government announced the £50 million allocation on 9 June. On 23 September, Somerset Council’s Executive agreed in principle to funding allocations for 15 projects, subject to business cases, and approved adding £42.5 million of capital grant to the council’s capital programme. The council has said the wider programme will cover a mix of water management, maintenance and improvements to the Levels and Moors. Official council decision →

What this means for East Brent

The funding discussions are relevant to flood-prone Somerset communities, but the latest MP statement does not confirm a new East Brent-specific dredging or pumping project. Your existing Brocks Pill drainage report covers a separate local allocation; it should not be represented as completed work.