Issue - meetings

Report ES16032

Report ES16032 reviewed Council progress as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) with responsibilities and activities for the coming year also considered.

Approval was sought to release £213k (allocated for local flood risk management) from Central Contingency to fund on-going maintenance and improvements to surface water drainage assets. Approval was also sought to release a one-off DEFRA grant of £69,482 from Central Contingency to fund technical advice on surface water drainage proposals through planning applications. Advice would be particularly provided on proposals for surface water drainage in major development - any residual funding supplementing maintenance/improvements to other drainage assets for surface water.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  a sum of £213k be released from 2016/17 Central Contingency to implement proposals detailed in Report ES16032, and a sum of £213k be included in future budgets;

(2)  the DEFRA grant of £69,482 be released to meet the costs of providing technical advice on surface water drainage proposals through the planning process as well as the maintenance and improvements of surface water drainage assets; and

(3)  the LLFA future works programme be approved.

Report ES16032

The report provided an update on the Council’s role as the Lead Local Flood Authority and sought agreement from the Executive to release dedicated Central Contingency funding to ensure the Council met its statutory duties as the Lead Local Flood Authority.

The Flooding and Water Management Act (FWMA) 2010 required the London Borough of Bromley, as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management in its area.  The LLFA had a duty to identify the causes of surface water flooding, including groundwater, and determine those organisations or authorities that had a role in mitigating the flood risk and having identified those parties, provide a forum where such parties can be brought together to produce a considered and coordinated response. 

In 2015 DEFRA awarded one-off grants to all Lead Local Flood Authorities to help support their role as statutory consultees for the planning application process. It was proposed that the grant received by LBB of £69,482 was used to fund technical advice on surface water drainage proposals through planning applications during 2016/17, particularly providing advice on surface water drainage proposals in major developments, with any residual funding being used to supplement the maintenance and improvements of surface water drainage assets.

In response to a question, the Head of Highways reported that some schemes had been developed but that any priorities highlighted by members would be considered for inclusion.

RESOLVED: That the Executive be recommended to:

(a) Agree to release a sum of £213,000 from the 2016/17 Central Contingency budget to implement the proposals detailed in this report, and include a sum of £213,000 in future budgets.

(b) Agree to release the DEFRA grant of £69,482 to meet the costs of providing technical advice on surface water drainage proposals through planning process as well as the maintenance and improvements of surface water drainage assets.

(c) Approve the Local Lead Flood Authority future works programme.