Report to Follow

48.1    Members received the report of the Operations Manager, Environmental Maintenance and the Flood and Water Manager which outlined Shropshire Council’s response to flooding. This illustrated how the Council worked with partner agencies when flooding may impact on people and property and also the work done by the Council in its role as a Lead Flood Authority.

48.2    The Flood and Water Manager advised that the Council worked with the Environment Agency (EA) and Severn Trent Water (STW) to deal with incidents of flooding and explained the role of each of the agencies.  He added that together with partner agencies, the Council had developed a seven stage Joint Flood Action Plan and that the different phases of the plan were activated according to the level the river had reached.

48.3    The Flood and Water Manager advised that as a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) the Council had a number of statutory duties to address local flood risk, one of which was to produce a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. Through collaborative working a Joint Strategy had been produced with Staffordshire County Council which set out the combined approach to managing flood risk. 

48.4    The Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing, Regulatory Services and Environment stated that funding for local flood risk management came from the DEFRA Revenue Support grant for the EA levy of £120,000.00 which covered 70% of the cost, the remaining 30% coming from the Council Budget.  He informed Members that the budget was set by a binding vote of the Regional Flood and Costal Committee and was the only budget in the recently published Council budget that would be increasing.  He commented that more funding was received back from the EA than was paid in by the Council.

48.5    The Portfolio Holder drew Members’ attention to the “Slow the Flow” project which aimed to reduce the flow of water by holding it back upstream in an effort to reduce the risk of flooding further downstream.  He commented that the Council was working with the NFU and other organisations in order to progress this scheme.

48.6    A member commented that the Melverley area was regularly flooded as part of the flood plain, and added that there were a number of places where some work was required to the highway which would mean that villages were not cut off for long periods as happened currently. The Area Commissioner agreed to look into this.

48.7    A Member commented that there appeared to have been a change in the way water levels were managed in the reservoirs in that previously there had been a certain capacity retained to allow for heavy rainfall; this was no longer the case and therefore more water was released into the river system. The Portfolio Holder commented that this had been raised at the Regional Flood and Costal Committee and that he would raise it again.

48.8    A Member asked whether there was an issue with landowners not maintaining the ditches and water courses on their land.  The Flood and Water Manager commented that landowners were reminded of their riparian responsibilities and that as part of the “Slow the Flow” project the Council was working with Landowners.  A Member commented that there may be a cross- compliance issue where farmers did not keep their ditches and watercourses in good order.

48.9    The Chairman thanked the Flood and Water Manager for his report

48.10  RESOLVED:

a)    That the current approach in response to flooding and flood management is noted

b)    That the support that is given to the continuing allocation of DEFRAs Revenue Support Grant that is allocated for local flood  risk management activities is noted.

c)    That a further update be brought to a future meeting of the Committee