RISK of flood prevention scheme could go up by one million pounds a week if not funded in time, warns a councillor.

With a rise in floods because of Storm Dennis battering the UK, councillor Ewan Larcombe (National Flooding Prevention Party: Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury) has warned if the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council (RBWM) doesn’t invest £54 million in their part of the scheme, then the price could go up considerably every week.

The River Thames Scheme will cost £640 million and was set up to reduce the flooding risk in areas such as Datchet and Surrey to protect 15,000 properties where work may begin in 2023 at the earliest.

Last year, Surrey County Council approved to pump £270 million on its part of the scheme as well as delivering their Flood Risk Management Strategy.

RBWM pledged to contribute £450,000 a year for the flood levy and has secured £10 million but needs an additional £40 million to reach their target fund which didn’t show in the council's budget proposal.

READ MORE: Windsor and Maidenhead Council set to answer questions over budget costs

Councillor Larcombe asked at the last cabinet meeting (February 6) if £54 million could be invested into the scheme where councillor David Cannon, lead member for public protection and parking, said there would be a contribution of £52 million but argued that the lower Thames scheme, which will build three flood channels from Datchet to Teddington, should be a national scheme.

Councillor Larcombe said: “If we leave it for too long, then, my guess is, the price will go up by one million pounds a week.

“It started at £250 million and now it’s £640 million. People aren’t getting the protection and it’s going to cost them even more.”

Councillor Larcombe will raise this issue at the next council meeting next Tuesday.