Agenda item

The Committee will consider a report in respect of the new Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024.

Contact:

Paul Farndale – Flood Team Leader, Planning and Development

A report was submitted in respect of the new Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024, which was being brought to the Committee, for pre-decision scrutiny, prior to its submission to the Cabinet for approval in early 2024.

Rashid Mahmood – Head of Major Projects and Paul Farndale – Flood Team Leader, Planning and Development gave a presentation focussing on:

·       The background to, and vision behind, the development of the new strategy, which set out how the Council would undertaken its flood risk management responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

·       The key responsibilities of the Council as Lead Local Flood Authority in terms of leadership, strategy, mitigation, investigation and reporting on significant incidents, maintenance of a register of assets, and acting as statutory consultee on planning applications.

·       A summary of the flood risk within Kirklees and the projected impact of climate change.

·       The five strategic objectives within the strategy; evidence, adaptability, innovation, sustainability, and communities and partnership.

·       The extensive range of partners that the Council worked with and alongside.

·       The four strategic themes; place-making, protect, response and recovery.

·       Climate change and the modelling undertaken to project impact on the district.

·       The Action Plan, separated into the four themes, and the sources of funding.

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Councillor Graham Turner, the relevant Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder, thanked officers for the significant work undertaken to produce the new strategy.

Questions and comments were invited from Committee Members, with the following issues being covered:

·       There were a number of key performance indicators that were monitored on a monthly basis, such as the increase in asset data, number of properties/businesses that had been better protected, and educational campaigns. It was acknowledged that monitoring could be strengthened.

·       Work was being undertaken to formalise the use of flood wardens/champions and community groups in the response to incidents, in a similar way to the snow warden initiative.

·       Trials were being undertaken with the deployment of flood-sacks in high-risk locations. The focus of the Council’s approach was on making more permanent changes to properties, so that dependence on the low-levels of defence, such as sandbags or flood-sacks, was reduced.

·       In respect of learning from best practice, the team worked closely with colleagues from across West Yorkshire, with different districts taking a lead on particular issues and then sharing knowledge and best practice. There was also an established link with ICAS (the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science), based at Leeds University.

·       The potential for the use of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) in developments was affected by the gradient of land and soil content in a significant part of the district. There had also been an issue in the past associated with the adoption and maintenance of systems. There was a crossover with biodiversity and a move towards the use of detention basins/ponds on-site. The 2010 Act envisaged drainage being removed from the planning process and the Council becoming a SUDS approval body. The Council was a member of the relevant national association and groups.

·       There were other measures that could be implemented to help manage surface water, such as green roofs and water butts.

·       A new strategic flood risk assessment would be produced, based around site allocations, which would help to influence the review of the Local Plan.

·       Regular engagement was undertaken with the Environment Agency and concerns raised where necessary. The team undertook studies to understand  risks and assess which bodies were responsible and would work closely alongside a range of partners to ensure awareness of the authority’s issues and concerns and to work supportively together to identify funding and deliver projects.

·       Work was undertaken in conjunction with colleagues in other districts, in light of the potential impact of schemes in those areas on the surface water reaching the Kirklees catchment.

·       It was considered that local residents in high-risk locations often did not have the relevant information about who they should contact in the event of issues with surface water.

Resolved –

That it be recommended that reference within the strategy to the work and engagement undertaken with and alongside other local authorities in respect of surface water should be strengthened.