THE Government has sparked a political row after confirming details of what it said was “unprecedented” spending on flood defence schemes.

A scheme for Greatham South and Port Clarence, on Teesside, worth £8.1m, is the standout project in this region to be given the green light.

A number of homes were flooded in Port Clarence, near Middlesbrough, following a tidal surge last December and work, to begin in spring next year, will protect 351 homes and 32 commercial properties.

Meanwhile, more than 120 properties will be protected from non-tidal river flooding as a result of a new flood defence scheme at Lustrum Beck, Stockton, construction of which is already underway.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said an unprecedented six-year £2.3 billion flood defence programme would support 1,400 schemes across the country.

But Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop said the announcement was a “rehash of old news”.

He said: “This does not contain any new money, instead it outlines details of money already allocated at last year’s Spending Review.

“The Government are getting desperate, re-announcing project after project and the public will not fall for it.

“Parts of East Cleveland are still reeling from the effects of last year’s flooding and those communities won’t buy this Tory Government spin. At the beginning of this parliament David Cameron cut the flood protection budget by over a £100m a year.”

Conservative County Councillor Gareth Dadd, North Yorkshire’s executive member for environmental services, hit back at the criticism and said: “The Labour party were talking for years about some of these schemes, but instead of talking about it the current Government has started to deliver against a backdrop of financial austerity.”

North Yorkshire County Council has just published flood risk maps showing that nearly 14,000 homes are at danger of flooding in the county and County Coun Dadd said the authority was campaigning hard for more investment.

Dorothy Fairburn, regional director of the Country Landowners’ Association (CLA), said many parts of the region were still “alarmingly vulnerable” and said funding alone would not stem the risk of future flooding.

She said the Government needed to make it easier for landowners to manage flood risk by cutting red tape and encouraging new approaches to managing drainage.