Issue - meetings

Flood and Water Management Act 2010 - Roles and Responsibilities

Meeting: 08/04/2014 - Cabinet (Item 6)

6 Flood and Water Management Act 2010 - Roles and Responsibilities and the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy PDF 99 KB

Additional documents:

Flood and Water Management Act 2010 - Roles and Responsibilities and the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy - Appendices 1 and 2, item 6 PDF 9 MB

Minutes:

Background:

This report provided details of recent changes in legislation with regards to flood and water management including new statutory duties for local authorities.

The Flood and Water Management Act (FWMA) 2010 imposed specific statutory executive duties on the Council, a summary of which was set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report. It was noted that the Council was making good progress with the requirements of the FWMA 2010, which included a cross functional approach between Highways, Corporate Capital Projects, Emergency Planning, Development Management and Regeneration Teams as well as continued dialogue with other Risk Management Authorities. The report provided details of a proposal for the Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture to be granted delegated authority to have responsibility for the discharge of a number of executive functions in relation to flood and water management.

The report also provided details of the development of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. The primary aim of the strategy was to outline the approach Medway Council as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) would take to local flood risk management, to record how this approach had been developed and agreed and to deliver the legislative requirements of the FWMA 2010. The draft Strategy would be subject to consultation between 14 April 2014 – 16 May 2014 and the outcome of consultation would be reported to Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 26 June 2014 and Cabinet on 15 July 2014.

Appendices 1 and 2 to the report were included in Supplementary Agenda No.1.

Decision number:	Decision:
63/2014	The Cabinet recommended to the Leader to agree the necessary executive delegations to officers as set out in 2.3 of the report.
64/2014	The Cabinet noted the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and agreed that it proceed to formal public consultation.
65/2014	The Cabinet agreed to authorise the Director for Regeneration, Community and Culture, in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services, to approve any minor corrections and factual amendments to the draft to improve its clarity and consistency prior to the consultation launch.
66/2014	The Leader agreed the necessary executive delegations to officers as set out in section 2.3 of the report.

Reasons:

The Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and the Flood and Water Management Act (FWMA) 2010 have established Medway Council as a Lead Local Flood Authority and sets out a number of roles and responsibilities in relation to the management of local flood risk. These decisions respond to the duties imposed on the Council.

The LFRMS provides the framework from which to ensure compliance with the legislation and considers how this can be delivered and inform decision making to address flood risk issues through several services.