Issue - meetings

(To receive a report from the Executive Director – Place, which invites the Executive to approve, and adopt on behalf of the Council, the Joint Flood Risk and Water Management Strategy 2019-2050 as attached at Appendix A and Strategic Vision at Appendix B to the report)

That the Joint Flood Risk and Water Management Strategy 2019-2050, as detailed at Appendix A and the Strategic Vision at Appendix B to the report, be approved, and adopted on behalf of the Council.

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director – Place, which asked the Executive to approve, and adopt the Joint Lincolnshire Flood Risk & Water Management Strategy 2019-2050 (attached at Appendix A), and supporting Strategic Vision (attached at Appendix B) of the report.

The Senior Commissioning Officer, Flood Risk advised the Executive of the role of Lincolnshire County Council in its capacity as the Lead Local Flood Authority and its partners in the Lincolnshire Flood Risk and Water Management Partnership.  It was highlighted that since 2012 flood risk management had increasingly been recognised as being integral to a wider issue of managing water as a resource, which was essential to economic growth nationally and, particularly, in the east of England.  Reference was also made to the success of the Lincolnshire Flood Risk and Water Management Partnership; and to recent flooding incidents and to the challenges they had posed.

The Vice-Chairman of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee presented the comments from the Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 9 September 2019 and the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10 September 2019.  These were detailed on pages 223 and 224 of the report. 

Confirmation was given at the meeting that the policy statement due to be released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was now expected in May 2020.

During a short discussion, clarification was sought as to the role of the partners, and a suggestion was made for the need for a protocol document, to confirm individual partner roles.  Officers confirmed that such matters would be addressed by the Management Group.  Officers advised further that this was an area where more work was needed to be done.  Officers advised further that as Lead Local Flood Authority, the Council also needed to be more pro-active and use enforcement powers in this regard.

It was also highlighted that other statutory organisations needed to be included in the strategy, to ensure that local agreements were in place to ensure that local problems were solved quickly in the event of a flooding incident.

Reference was made to the role of Internal Drainage Board's, particularly those who had taken over responsibility for some watercourses from the Environment Agency.  It was noted that this approach had been piloted and had been successful in some areas.  Reference was also made to extending precept areas; and to a suggestion for a Lincolnshire Rivers Authority, it was noted however, that this suggestion would not be generally supported in Lincolnshire

RESOLVED

That the Joint Flood Risk and Water Management Strategy 2019-2050, as detailed at Appendix A and the Strategic Vision at Appendix B to the report, be approved, and adopted on behalf of the Council.