Decision details

Report ES14042

Report ES14042 provided an update on the Council’s role as Lead Local Flood Authority. It considered the impact of recent groundwater flood events and sought the Portfolio Holder’s views on the Council’s involvement in future events.

It also sought Executive agreement to the release of dedicated Central Contingency funding (£250k) to fund works detailed in the report and to ensure the Council meets its statutory duties as Lead Local Flood Authority.

Members were advised that pumping downstream from the gardens of Courtfield Rise, West Wickham had ceased ten days previously.

Concerning the Council’s role in any future groundwater flooding event, the Chairman suggested that the Council’s role should focus on facilitating works on behalf of residents i.e. working with and helping residents make suitable arrangements.

The Portfolio Holder briefly outlined the Council’s position during the recent groundwater flood events. Although the Council has no direct responsibility for pumping arrangements to remove groundwater, the Council assisted with this to help residents stay in their homes. However, in so doing it became unnecessary for insurance companies to act/provide compensation. Ministers would be lobbied on the position. 

The Vice-Chairman suggested that it was difficult to assess whether the Council should similarly assist in future flood events without being able to predict the scale of flooding. However, it was necessary for the Council’s website to outline the Council’s responsibilities during a flood event, including the Council’s policy and legal position in such events.

Councillor Samaris Huntington-Thresher saw the Council’s role as linking agencies together to work in a timely manner. She felt the Council had a moral responsibility to assist in encouraging agencies to work together. It was also important to understand the reasons for flooding at Borkwood Court and to make sure that funds invested are worthwhile.

The Chairman felt the Council should support residents make their own flood protection arrangements for their property, with the Council providing a facilitating role with relevant agencies. It was necessary to be clear on the Council’s responsibilities. In the event of a flooding event, emergency services e.g. London Fire Brigade/Thames water should be expected to take initial action to remove excess water.

Referring to funding from the Repair and Renewal Grant scheme (which could be pooled to provide infrastructure protecting a whole site rather than individual properties), and a proposal that L B Bromley match funds this with a contribution of up to £30k towards the cost of infrastructure at Borkwood Court and Courtfield Rise, it was suggested that further consideration might be necessary should the match funding have to be directed to one specific area. It was suggested that proposals related to Borkwood Court be referred in the first instance to Ward Members for consideration.

RESOLVED that:

(1) the Executive be recommended to agree to a sum of £250k being released from the dedicated 2014/15 Central Contingency budget to implement the proposals detailed in Report ES14042; 

(2) the Environment Portfolio Holder be recommended to consider the

L B Bromley’s role in any future groundwater flooding events; and

(3)  the Committee recommend that:

·  the Council should support residents to make their own flood protection arrangements for their property with the Council taking a facilitating role with relevant agencies;

·  emergency services, e.g. London Fire Brigade/Thames Water, should be expected to take initial action in a flooding event to remove excess water; and

·   the responsibilities of residents for any future groundwater flood event are made clear and recorded on the Council’s website.