Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided details of outcome of consultation on the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, as required under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA 2010). The report gave details of the overall objectives of the Strategy as required by section 9(4) of the Flood Water Management Act 2010:

• The Risk Management Authorities in the authority’s area.
• The flood and coastal erosion risk management functions that may be exercised by those authorities in relation to the area.
• The objectives for managing local flood risk. 
• The measures proposed to achieve those objectives.
• How and when the measures will be implemented.
• The costs and benefits of those measures, and how they are to be paid for.
• The assessment of local flood risk for the purpose of the strategy.
• How and when the strategy will be reviewed.
• How the strategy contributes to the achievement of wider environmental objectives.

The draft Strategy was subjected to a six week period of public consultation, details of which were set out in the report. The Council had received responses from Natural England and Cooling Parish Council. It was noted that further engagement was due to be undertaken with Stoke Parish Council with regards to ongoing local flooding issues in the area.

The Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered a report on this issue on 26 June 2014. The Committee’s comments were set out in paragraph 3 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment (DIA) screening had been completed and was set out in Appendix 2 to the report. It was concluded that a full DIA was not required at this stage but that additional DIAs would be undertaken when implementing those measures that had been identified as having a direct impact on the public.

Appendix 1 to the report was set out in Supplementary Agenda No.1.

Reasons:

As the Lead Local Flood Authority, Medway Council has a statutory responsibility to produce a local strategy under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

There is no option to delegate this function of the Act to another Risk Management Authority.

A decision not to adopt and publish the local strategy may result in intervention by the Minister in accordance with section 20 of the FWMA 2010.