About the strategy
Flooding has had a significant impact on local communities in the County in the past, and the County Council is currently developing a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which will set out how organisations and communities should work together to manage this risk.
Our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy needs to consider the flood risks we face in the County, the measures we can take to manage flooding and how those might have multiple benefits (to the local economy, communities and the environment) and how such measures will be funded.
There will always be a limited amount of funding available from national and local government and it is not economically, socially or environmentally feasible to resolve all flooding issues in the County. As part of the Strategy we plan to develop an investment strategy for how we can work with other organisations and communities to raise further funds and prioritise areas for further investigation and/or investment.
The strategy is not just about flood defences and maintenance. Non-structural solutions, including spatial planning in the form of sustainable planning for new development, development control, environmental enhancement and emergency planning, such as supporting communities to become more resilient to flooding will be key components of our response to flood risk both now and in the future.
Developing the strategy
We are developing the strategy in partnership with other organisations including District and Borough Councils, Severn Trent Water, the Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards and Nottingham City Council. We have set up a working group between these organisations, which is a steering group for the Strategy. This group will report on progress to the joint Strategic Flood Risk Management Board that we have set up with Nottingham City Council.
The Strategy is being developed in stages, to allow for continued consultation and engagement with those who will be affected. We are likely to complete the Strategy in 2014.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
As part of the development of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, and in line with the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations guidance available, we have determined that an SEA is required. You can find out more about the SEA process at the following web sites:
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/policy/32901.aspx
or
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/practicalguidesea
We will be consulting with the Environment Agency, Natural England and English Heritage as well as the general public at various stages of the development of the SEA.
View the SEA Determination Notice [PDF 36KB]
Consultation
We will be consulting affected Risk Management Authorities, other organisations and the public at various stages as we develop the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.
During February and March 2012, we undertook a survey to inform our Strategy. We did this to understand the perspective of others, their opinion on what our priorities should be and enhance our understanding of local flood risk concerns and issues. We would like to offer our thanks for the very high response that we have received. We value your comments and are currently feeding these into an Outline Strategy that we intend to consult on in Summer 2013. If you would like to discuss our Strategy in the meantime, please contact our Flood Risk Management team directly on email: flood.team@nottscc.gov.uk
Involving communities
The Local Flood Risk Management Strategy is an opportunity to understand local flood risk issues, share your experiences of flooding, learn about how you can become more resilient to flooding and have your say about how the County Council, other organisations and communities should work together in the future to manage such risks.
You can download an information pack that we sent out to communities in early 2012 from here. This includes:
Involving organisations
We wish to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries to develop the strategy, deliver efficient and integrated solutions, support local communities and manage flood risk within wider river catchments.
We need to develop sustainable measures to manage flood risk in the County that take account of the needs of the local economy, communities and the environment. Other organisations and the voluntary sector can contribute key skills and experience as we look to how we can manage flood risk in an integrated manner into the future across the County. We wish to fully understand and appreciate the extent of others work, which may not be directly related to what we do, to look for opportunities to improve our environment that will have multiple benefits.
We have prepared a letter that we sent out in early 2012 for Risk Management Authorities and wider organisations [PDF 53KB], which can be downloaded here.
