Cuckmere Estuary Partnership

Q: Why has it cost so much to do the study? I was told it was £600,000. Is this true? If not, what was the cost and who paid for it and in what proportions? I was also told the audit commission questioned this expenditure.

A: The Flood Risk Management Strategy that the Environment Agency has developed for Cuckmere has cost £560,000.  The strategy looks at the next 100 years to make sure that the Environment Agency understands the future implications of what they do and finds the right long-term solution.

This money has funded extensive research into improving understanding of the specific environment of the estuary and how it works, which enables them to make the best decisions about the estuary’s future. 

The money has also paid for detailed modelling, identifying options and the costs and benefits of those options and consultation with local people.

The National Audit Office (NAO) reviewed the Environment Agency’s expenditure on this strategy in 2006 and, overall, were happy with the way that the funding was used. The NAO did recommend the Agency make sure the cost benefit analysis covered all the factors and also suggested the Partnership try to bring all shades of opinion together to attempt to reach a consensus.

Tags: costs, Environment Agency

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