Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will establish a central fund to enable local authorities and the Environment Agency to use their permissive powers to protect legacy coastal landfill sites.

The Government recognises the complexity and challenges posed by legacy coastal landfill sites (also known as historic coastal landfill sites), particularly in the context of coastal erosion and climate change. It commissioned a project to consolidate research and better understand the scale of risks posed by these sites in England. The findings of the national assessment into erosion and flooding risks at these sites will enable the Government to make informed considerations about potential methodologies that local responsible authorities and partners can use to prioritise action. The final report from this will be published shortly.

There are no plans to establish a dedicated central fund to support the use of permissive powers for legacy coastal landfill protection. Local authorities receive revenue funding for local flood and coastal erosion risk management through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 makes available £83.5 billion. This rises to £90.5 billion in 2028/29. Most of local government funding is not ring-fenced, reflecting the principle that local authorities are best placed to determine how to address service pressures in their areas.