FLOOD defences across Barnsley have been identified as being below the required condition and in need of crucial repair work following an inspection.

In April, MPs were told that 3,000 of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets were in the ‘poorest condition on record’ following ‘years of under-investment’.

The revelation spurred an urgent probe of defences such as flood walls and embankments of which Barnsley has more than 200 to help allay water levels in times of heavy rainfall on the River Dearne, Don and Dove which all flow through the borough.

Flood defences are maintained by a patchwork of organisations across England from private individuals, to water companies, charities and local authorities but just over half of defences with a flood risk management purpose are maintained by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency routinely inspects and grades the 51,000 flood defences it maintains as well as around 47,000 maintained by third parties, giving them a score between one, meaning very good, and five, meaning very poor.

However, it does not publish the scores of flood defences maintained by third parties but its inspectors found ten of Barnsley’s most essential defences were below the expected condition.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Protecting communities from the devastating impact of flooding is a top priority.

“It is more important than ever as climate change brings more extreme weather.

“Each year, we complete up to 165,000 inspections of flood assets across the country and have recently redirected £108m into repairs and maintenance.

“This will help to ensure the strongest protection for nearby communities.

“If the performance of an asset is reduced, then immediate action is taken to ensure that flood risk continues to be effectively managed until the asset is fully repaired or replaced.”

Failing flood defences can have a number of potential defects such as cracks or fractures in concrete or masonry walls, erosion or scouring at the base of embankments or walls, slumping or settlement of earth embankments, blocked or broken drainage systems that prevent water flow and water seepage or leakage through or beneath the defence.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy added: “Flooding devastates communities but this government’s preparations mean our towns and cities are better protected than last year.

“We inherited flood assets in their worst condition on record our immediate response was to redirect millions into maintenance and repair works.

“But this is just the start and we’re investing at least £10.5bn the largest programme ever in flood defences until 2036.

“This will build new defences and repair assets across the country, protecting our communities for decades to come.”

Storms Ciara, Denis and Babet have all impacted Barnsley, which resulted in a month’s worth deluge of rain falling in a day on each occasion, swelling rivers to the point where each of the town’s three burst their banks and caused havoc.

Some alleviation schemes have already been given priority status including work on worst-hit Lang Avenue in Lundwood, a Barnsley-wide culvert condition programme and ongoing spillway repair work at Worsbrough Reservoir.

Debris clearance on the Dearne at Church Street in Darton will follow, as will work on the Don in Penistone.

However, some others earmarked to be completed by 2027 including a Smithies flood plain, a culvert replacement at Bulling Dyke and bank strengthening in Wombwell have been put on the back-burner due to ‘insufficient public and private funding’, the Chronicle understands.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “We need to do more to prevent flooding in the first place and also deviating the consequences when it does happen,” he added.

“One of my aims is to make the case for more funding for our part of the world because we need to get it right when it comes to flood alleviation.

“It can’t be right that people have sleepless nights, worrying about whether their homes are going to get flooded.”