Agenda item

(To receive a report by Ian Reed, Head of Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Service, which updates the Committee on the recent work carried out by the Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Service with regards to the risk of flooding within the county)

The Chairman invited Ian Reed, Head of Emergency Planning Business Continuity, to remotely present the item to the Committee.

The Committee was advised of the background to the review of Multi–Agency Flood Plans; the learning from some of the smaller scale flooding incidents during the last twelve months, which had led to a review of the Councils Incident Response Procedure Manual, with particular emphasis on how low-level flooding incidents were being managed.

It was noted that following discussion, suggestions had been made to the benefit of a smaller group of agencies meeting to discuss flooding incidents at a much lower level.  It was noted further that in future a small multi-agency group would form when calls for sandbags and other flooding requests were received by agencies; and where existing capacity to respond was being stretched.

The Committee was advised that the process had been tested in an exercise held on 25 August in the East Lindsey area. The exercise had highlighted that a change in the early triggers for activation was required to take account of the greater capacity within Lincolnshire County Council Highways to respond, and to ensure that the group was not getting involved too early when no coordinated response was required. It was highlighted further that the process would be amended to ensure that only as resources started to become stretched would the group be activated.  It was noted that a follow-up exercise was planned for 27 September 2021 in the West Lindsey area.

The Committee noted that for 2022, a single exercise to look at all flood risks was going to be held.  It was noted further that the exercise entitled FloodEX22 was set to take place over the week of the 19 to 23 September 2022, and that the exercise was seeking participation from all counties from Northumberland to Kent along the coast, and all those along the Trent.  Details of what the exercise would enable to be tested were shown on page 53 of the report pack.

The Committee also noted that the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF) was yet to complete its major exercise, 'Silver Siren', which was due to take place in October.

In conclusion, the Committee noted that the service continued to develop close working relationships with the Environment Agency and other LRF partners; and that the service was confident that its plans were fit for purpose for the upcoming audit.

It was also reported that the service was also co-ordinating the LRF Pilot Funding project on behalf of the LRF. The project bid submitted to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) related to advanced mapping capabilities, use of drones and LRF engagement amongst others.  If successful, the projects would further enhance the work carried out by the service.

During consideration of the report, the Committee raised some of the points listed below:

·       The need to make sure that flooding incidents were followed through;

·       The current policy relating to sandbags.  The Committee noted that sandbag policies differed across the District Councils.  It was highlighted that there was a need to have a more co-ordinated approach, and that this was currently work in progress;

·       The effectiveness of 'Floodline'.  Some concern was express that Floodline had failed to deliver a co-ordinated solution.  Clarification was given that as this service was provided by the Environment Agency, no further information could be supplied;

·       Clarification was sought as to whether Anglian Water was part of the small multi-agency group, as detailed on page 52.  The Committee noted that Anglian Water would not become involved until the incident became a Tier Two incident; and

·       Whether smaller emergency groups were still involved in the emergency planning process.  The Committee noted that small groups were still included in the Resilience Community plan.

RESOLVED

That the report on the Emergency Planning, Response and Co-ordination Update be received and that the progress being undertaken by the service be noted.