Agenda item

Councillor Joshi submits a report that presents the findings of the Environment and Sustainability Task Group review on Flood Alleviation.  The Board is asked to approve the recommendations of the Task Group, and agree to seek a divisional response to the review.

Councillor Joshi submitted a report that presented the findings of the Environment and Sustainability Task Group review on Flood Alleviation.

Councillor Joshi introduced the final report.  He explained that flood alleviation mechanisms were crucial especially in light of climate change implications.   Members also heard that the Environment Agency had declared that Leicester was in the top ten of authorities at risk from flooding. 

Councillor Joshi reported that this Task Group focused on a number of particular areas which included the role of the Environment Agency, sustainable urban drainage systems and biodiversity issues, current and proposed regional joint arrangements for dealing with flooding and community awareness of flooding.  The Task Group also drew on experiences from other councils such as Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. 

Councillor Joshi explained that the key recommendations formed were around encouraging strong partnership working between the Council and it’s partners, and ensuring that the Council had appropriate levels of skilled and trained staff to face future challenges.  Further to this, Councillor Joshi spoke of the requirement for the Council to successfully deliver communications around the risk of flooding.  It was also made clear that there was a need for the Council’s planning and highways services to ensure that surface water drainage was embedded within their working practises. 

Councillor Joshi thanked all officers involved in assisting with the completion of the review.  Officers commented that they themselves had found the review to be a particularly useful exercise, and felt that it allowed different Council divisions to work in close connection to one another. 

Members heard that the Council would receive £200,000 as a result of Leicester’s new responsibilities for flood alleviation.  Members of the Board welcomed this and felt that the money should be ring-fenced.

Members also saw this as an example of a review that was well carried out, and felt that this was partly demonstrated by the number of meetings that took place. 

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the recommendations of the Environment and Sustainability Task Group be supported; and

(2)         That a divisional response to the review be brought back to the Board within 2 months.