Eco & Environment | Posted on February 12th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset Council unlocks funding for flooded roads

Dorset Council is making £5.25 million available for highways to improve flood resilience, repair storm-damaged roads and clean gullies.

With floods having affected so many roads in the county in the past few weeks, local people will welcome the news that Dorset Council is to make an additional £5.25 million available for highways.

The package includes a £5 million capital flood-resilience fund to target known hotspots and repair storm-damaged sections, plus £250,000 for a new, dedicated gully-cleaning crew to clear roadside gullies that have been inundated by the storms and to keep water moving during heavy rain.

This investment will not stop river or groundwater flooding — those are driven by wider catchment and tide conditions — but it will improve highway drainage performance in typical rainfall and help roads recover faster after storms.

The council will continue to work with the Environment Agency on main rivers while it focuses council resources on surface water, groundwater and smaller rivers and streams, reflecting the organisations’ different responsibilities. Subject to Cabinet consideration in March, the council will also seek to join the regional flood and coastal partnership to strengthen cross-boundary work and access to funding.

The council is opening formal Section 19 flood investigations under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

The highways resilience programme starts immediately, with the new gully crew in place and priority sites scheduled as conditions allow and as water levels fall.