Managing the risk of flooding – strategy and evidence
The Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority for the Borough and takes the lead managing local flood risks such as flash flooding and ground water flooding.
Flood Risk Management Strategy
The Council cooperates with other organisations that have the lead responsibility for managing other sources, such as the Environment Agency for the River Thames and Thames Water for sewer flooding.
As part of this role, the Council adopted a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy in 2015.
Our strategy encourages communities have a greater say in local flood risk management decisions. It is aimed at:
- residents
- businesses
- other members of the public
- flood risk management authorities
The strategy sets out the roles and responsibilities of flood risk management partners along with the Council’s responsibilities. It has an action plan and five objectives:
- Coordinate the management of flooding from different sources (working in partnership with other flood risk authorities to ensure we are prepared for a flooding event and we can recover promptly);
- Communicate flood risk effectively amongst Council departments, other flood risk authorities and the public;
- Reduce flood risk and its consequences;
- Gather information and undertake research about flood risk (which could aid a future policy review);
- Undertake a review of planning policies to ensure flood risk is fully addressed.
The Strategy is due to be update later in 2023, with adoption planned for Spring 2024.
Additional information about flooding in the Borough
The Council holds a portfolio of evidence that provides additional information about the risk of flooding in the Borough. This includes:
Surface Water Management Plan
This assesses the risk of flash flooding in detail and defines critical drainage areas in the Borough where there is an increased risk of flooding during extreme rainfall.
See the Surface Water Management Plan.
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
This defines the risk of flooding from all sources to inform the allocation of development sites.
See the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.
Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment
High level screening exercise that compiles information on significant local flood risk from past and future floods (2011) and review in 2018.
London Regional Flood Risk Appraisal
Overview of the different types of flood risk in London and provides a spatial analysis of tidal, fluvial and surface water flood risk against major development locations, key infrastructure assets and services.
See the London Regional Flood Risk Appraisal.
Thames Flood Risk Management Plan
A review of the risk of flooding over the Thames basin.