The Environment Agency will implement £20m worth of flood defence projects over the next three years.

Projects that have been given the provisional go-ahead to start work in 2009/10 include:
• A comprehensive flood risk management plan for Sheffield, that will provide a number of options, such as upstream storage or changes to land management.
• In Deal, Kent, the improvement of sea defences will help protect against future sea level rise, which would otherwise lead to increasing flood damage in Deal by waves overtopping the seawall.
• The construction of two pumping stations and a replacement of a tidal sluice in the Barking and Dagenham area of London. These works will form part of the flood defences needed to reduce the risk from river and tidal flooding to the homes, businesses and vital infrastructure in the Thames Estuary

The proposal to bring £20m of work forward was set out by the government in this month's pre-budget report.

Final approval for the projects will be determined in February 2009, following the necessary feasibility studies and planning applications.