Issue - items at meetings - Surrey Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

Surrey is a County at high risk of flooding. Flooding in Surrey comes from a number of sources and can be classified as either fluvial - from rivers; surface water – when water does not penetrate into the ground as a result of impermeable or saturated surfaces; ground water – when the natural level of water in the ground rises to the surface; or surcharging – when sewers overflow.

In excess of 30,000 properties in Surrey are at risk from fluvial, ground and surface water sources. The County Council has specific responsibilities for managing these risks and acknowledges a wider responsibility beyond this because of the severe impact flooding has on individuals and communities.

In recent years flood incidents relating to the River Thames and its tributaries, along with other watercourses and areas that are susceptible to surface and ground water flooding have caused severe hardship and suffering to a number of Surrey residents and damage to the County’s economy. Many are yet to fully recover from the last major flood event in 2013/14 and the risk of future flooding is significant.

Surrey County Council (SCC) recognises the impacts of flooding and the risks from further incidents in the County and as a result has supported and initiated a number of projects to enhance flood risk management across Surrey. These include: leading on the development and construction of numerous flood alleviation schemes, supporting residents and other local groups such as Parishes to establish Flood Action Groups, working with the National Flood Forum to support communities at risk of flooding, overseeing the Repair and Renew Grant which allowed residents to install property level protection on their homes, facilitating the inclusion of sustainable drainage on all new major developments and launching an awareness campaign for landowners (riparian owners). In addition to this the Council is playing a key role in the development of the River Thames Scheme.

In order to capture these and other changes there is a need to update Surrey’s Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFMRS).

SCC is designated as ‘Lead Local Flood Authority’ (LLFA) for Surrey under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) and has a duty under the Act to “develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management in its area”.

Surrey’s LFRMS was first published in December 2014. The attached Strategy (Annex 1) represents a refresh of the 2014 version and incorporates an updated approach to flood risk management.

It is important for the Council to consider how long-term flood risk management activities can be resourced. A significant amount of funding for flood alleviation schemes currently comes from flood defence grants from DEFRA, the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and the Council’s own capital budget. Other sources of funding and ways to resource flood risk management will have to be considered in the context of reduced public finances.

[The decision on this item may be called in by the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Scrutiny Board]

RESOLVED:

That;

the refreshed Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for Surrey be approved; and
Cabinet notes that the Council should consider options to strengthen and maintain future flood risk management work and that a report be presented to the Cabinet at its meeting in September 2017.

Reasons for Decisions

In its capacity as LLFA SCC has a duty to develop a strategy for flood risk management under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010). It also has to adopt a co-ordinated and co-operative approach to flood risk management with other Risk Management Authorities (RMA) under sections 9 and 13 of the same Act. The LFRMS sets actions and objectives to facilitate this.

Surrey’s Corporate Strategy 2016-2021 states that ‘investing in flood and maintenance schemes’ is a priority under its Resident Experience goal. The refreshed LFRMS sets out the method for delivering this across the responsible authorities.

Flooding is a significant concern to the residents of Surrey. Approximately 1500 properties were flooded in the events of 2013/14 and more have been flooded since in localised incidents. It remains a high profile topic and it is important that SCC has a clear and up to date LFRMS that sets out priorities for flood risk management.

[The decision on this item may be called in by the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Board]

The report was introduced by Mr Furey, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding who highlighted many of Surrey’s towns and villages were at risk of flooding. He emphasised the importance of local flood forums as a means of managing flood risk and ensuring that local knowledge and expertise were utilised in the creation and development of flood mitigation measures. There was seventeen local flood forums operating in Surrey but the hope was to double this number to ensure access to on the ground guidance and direction from local residents in flood.

Mrs Clack requested clarification in relation to how the recommendations in the report would support the work of local flood forums. The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding advised that the strategy would improve channels of communication between SCC and individual local flood forums thereby enabling the Council to use this information in order to develop appropriate flood alleviation measures.

The Leader of the Council detailed his work on the 2007 Flood Review undertaken by SCC which highlighted 743 potential flood spots in the county. He inquired about mitigating the flood risk to Surrey with significantly less money available in order to do this and proposed a proactive approach to working with Central Government and local partners in order to secure the necessary funding in order to develop flood alleviation measures where they were required. Mr Furey responded by highlighting the transformative work that had taken place throughout the county to improve how the Council and its partners responding to flooding.

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