More than £9million of flood protection funding for Somerton and Frome, and Bridgwater and West Somerset

Somerton and Frome is set to benefit from more than £7million between now and 2027, and Bridgwater and West Somerset will receive £1.7million.

The grants are part of the Government's £5.2billion investment to protect 336,000 properties from flooding and coastal erosion over the next six years.

In Bridgwater, £1.5million will be used for refurbishment of the sluice gates at Dunball, and £195,000 for improvements to the West Sedgemoor pumping station.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said the announcement would come as a huge relief to hundreds of families on the levels who were affected by the catastrophic floods of 2014.

“The commitment to this spending is a very welcome indicator of the fact that the Government is determined to keep those families and all others in the area safe from disastrous flooding for the foreseeable future,” he said.

“It also implicitly rules out the extreme option advocated by some in the environmental movement – of stopping all drainage work on the levels and allowing nature to take its course.

“That always was a ludicrous suggestion because it would rapidly have turned the area back into an uninhabited, uninhabitable and unattractive swamp.

“The levels look as attractive as they do today thanks to centuries of careful management and of co-operation between farmers, landowners and the relevant local authorities.

“That has bequeathed us a working, highly productive landscape and a series of attractive settlements while creating a wildlife habitat which has earned the highest international ranking.

“I am delighted there is now a clear determination on the part of Government to ensure that pleasant state of affairs continues.”

In Somerton and Frome, £3,712,508 of the funding could be put towards the following projects:

• Flights Hole Weir Fish Pass improvements - £20,000
• Long Load Pumping Station pump replacement - £985,719
• Huish Pumping Station pump replacement - £874,085
• Midleney Pumping Station pump replacement - £794,498
• Westover Pumping Station pump replacements - £671,128
• Westover Pumping Station pump replacements - £671,128
• West Moor Reservoir: Measures in interests of safety under Reservoirs Act - £135,000

David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome, added: “Flooding devastates communities, as we have seen to our great cost across the Somerset Levels in very recent times.

"So many homes and families in Somerset have fallen victim to this, and it is crucial that we continue to add to the armoury of protection, in order properly to tackle it and manage our environment, our businesses and homes.

“Boosting the design and construction of flood alleviation schemes, while also putting the necessary measures in place to protect homes from flooding and coastal erosion will help to guard homes and families from the devastating impact of flooding, and will allow people to feel reassured about the safety of their home and their livelihoods.”

The Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan outlines how this record £5.2 billion of investment over the next six years will be spent, including more than £860 million in 2021-22 on boosting the design and construction of more than 1,000 flooding alleviation schemes.

“The tragic recent events in Germany and Belgium serve as a sobering reminder of how devastating flooding can be," said Environment Secretary George Eustice.

“We are standing by communities and will bolster defences against flooding across England with many thousands more properties better protected by 2027.

“It’s important we take action right across the system.

"Our comprehensive plan will achieve this by tightening planning procedures, helping more people access insurance and making homes more resilient to flooding.”