Council to review £9.5m plans for flooding works

A £9.5m programme of recovery and improvement work is underway to support flood-affected areas.

Dorset Council's cabinet is being asked to approve plans to launch investigations and local reviews into the flooding, which impacted the county earlier in the year, on its meeting on Tuesday.

The local authority said it had recorded significant increases in road defects, emergency call-outs and potholes due to water damage. The council said the increase in highway enquiries "was exceptional compared to previous years".

Jon Andrews, cabinet member for place services, said the investigations would be used "to make us more resilient for future flooding events".

The planned improvements include £250,000 for additional gully and drain clearance.

That would run alongside substantial repair and recovery schemes in the coming months, with £456,000 of investment at Old Sherborne Road in Cerne Abbas and at Horton Road and Main Road in Godmanstone.

A council spokesperson said there had been "a big increase in potholes this year, mainly where areas were underwater".

"If it's wet enough for the different layers of road construction to be saturated, we are likely to see more potholes," they added.

The council said it would also carry out community-level flood reviews "in areas that were significantly affected but do not meet the formal threshold for investigation".

All findings will be published and shared with residents and partner organisations.

Dorset recorded its second wettest winter since 1836, following Storm Chandra and prolonged rainfall.

"We always see an increase in highway enquiries during the winter, but the 2026 January and February jump was quite out of the ordinary," the local authority said.

It lead to damaged roads, disrupted communities and businesses and flooded homes.

The council said it had recorded:

• a 92% increase in reported potholes due to water damage
• a 54% increase in other road defects
• and an 83% increase in emergency callouts to close roads.

The proposed investigation programme is intended to "ensure these experiences lead to meaningful, practical improvements in flood resilience across Dorset".

The council said funding would also be spent on responsive repairs to damaged roads (new surfacing) and preventative measures, which can include, but not limited to, new gulleys, drainage pipes and road reprofiling to control water runoff.

"We have already delivered surfacing in Portland, Bridport, Upton and Ferndown and we'll be resurfacing and dressing roads across Dorset over the coming months," it added.

Andrews added they would "also help ensure that investment in flood recovery and resilience is targeted, fair, and shaped by local experience".