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Internal Drainage Boards: Fylde

Asked by Mr Andrew SnowdenConservativeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 30 January 2025UIN 26766

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available from his Department to set up a new Internal Drainage Board for the Fylde coast.

Answered by Emma Hardy

Internal Drainage Boards (IDB) are local independent statutory public bodies, mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work; this includes farmers who pay drainage rates and local authorities that pay special levies. Determining where new IDBs should be created is a matter of local choice, and the Government will only consider proposals where there is clear local support, including from local authorities and farmers.

Defra is addressing the current barrier to establishing new IDBs and expanding existing ones. Changes were made to the Land Drainage Act 1991, via the Environment Act 2021, enabling new IDBs to be created and existing IDBs to expand their boundaries. Defra will bring forward the necessary statutory instrument when Parliamentary time allows.

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