Rushcliffe MP James Naish has written to the Minister for Water and Flooding, Emma Hardy MP, calling for urgent action to address the rising cost of Internal Drainage Board Special Levies – a financial burden affecting a growing number of councils across the country including in Nottinghamshire.
Internal Drainage Boards (IDB) are responsible for water level management in low-lying, flood-prone areas, often using pumping stations. However, the cost of maintaining and improving this infrastructure – critical to both environmental protection and economic productivity – has surged.
In his letter to Minister Hardy, James Naish has highlighted the mounting pressure that the IDB levy is placing on local authorities such as Rushcliffe Borough Council which is facing a 36% increase in its annual bill over a three-year period. Levies are also paid directly by landowners.
He said: “2025/26 has seen a further rise of 5%, taking the total Special Levy Bill to £52.4m. This is a £13.6m increase per annum on the total Levy charged in 2022/23. For Rushcliffe Borough Council, this represents an increase per annum of £119,261 (36%) over that period. This year, the Special Levy for Rushcliffe stands at £446,836.”
He continued: “As the former Leader of Bassetlaw District Council which is now paying almost £1m per annum to its IDBs, I know that Rushcliffe is not an isolated case.”
A Local Government Association Special Interest Group has been set-up to purposefully lobby on this issue. It has concluded that the current IDB funding model is unsustainable and disproportionately burdensome on rural authorities (New Civil Engineer). While the government increased central funding support from £3 million to £5 million for 2025/26, local authorities have warned that this uplift is still insufficient given the overall rise in costs.
James Naish continued: “I would like the government to be forthcoming about a longer-term funding solution as soon as possible. IDBs do a vitally important job in protecting our communities and vital infrastructure, including roads and energy plants, from flooding. Constituents and businesses will benefit from putting their funding on a more sustainable footing.”
A long-term solution is now being sought through government-led research into the IDB funding model.
Speaking on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in early May, Emma Hardy MP said: “Defra officials are in regular contact with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government officials regarding IDBs and are working together, along with the IDB sector and local authorities, on a new research project. This project will review IDBs’ funding and costs, including considering whether any changes are needed to the IDB funding model.”
The review is expected to start this summer and will last for around a year. Once it has concluded, Defra and MHCLG will publish the findings.
