Issue - meetings

This report provides advice on a number of flood related issues arising from the recently enacted Flood and Water Management Act and the Flood Risk Regulations 2009, and offers options on how the Council could respond to these pieces of legislation.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the contents of the report, and the potential for expenditure growth, be recognised, and that the Executive will consider what additional resources might be allocated to deal with the new burdens arising from the Flood and Water Management Act, and the Flood Risk Regulations 2009, once the 2011/12 government grant settlement for the City is clearer.

REASON:      In order to fulfil the Council’s obligations under the Flood and Water Management Act and the Flood Risk Regulations 2009.

                        (ii)        That Officers be requested to arrange for the Sandbag Policy to be published on the Council’s website and for a suitable article summarising the Policy to be made available for publication in appropriate ward committee newsletters.

REASON:      To allow the efficient and effective distribution of sandbags in a flood emergency situation.

Members considered a report which provided advice on a number of flood-related issues arising from the recently enacted Flood and Water Management Act (FAWMA) and the Flood Risk Regulations 2009, and offered options on how the Council could respond to these pieces of legislation.  Approval was also sought for a new Sandbag Policy (attached as Annex A), revised to take account of flooding from a number of sources, and not just river flooding.

The FAWMA and Flood Risk Regulations had placed a range of new duties and responsibilities on local authorities, the Environment Agency and other partners in relation to the management of flood and coastal risk.  In particular the Council, as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), was required to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a local flood risk management strategy in its area, covering flood risk from surface run-off, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. 

The legislation would bring with it new financial and resource burdens.  The government’s original position that no additional funding would be needed now seemed to have shifted, following extensive lobbying, and it was suggested that funding might be provided through an Area Based assessment.  York’s need for additional staff resources arising from the new duties had been estimated at between 1.5 and 2.3 FTEs.  A growth bid had been submitted to fund some initial work to scope the impact of the new burdens and Members were invited to consider whether to:

• Recognise the need for extra staff resources in the Structures and Drainage team so as to deliver the new duties (Option 1) or
• Revise the duties of the Structures and Drainage team to as to deliver the new duties without increasing staff resources (Option 2).

Having noted the comments of the Labour Group Spokespersons on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the contents of the report, and the potential for expenditure growth, be recognised, and that the Executive will consider what additional resources might be allocated to deal with the new burdens arising from the Flood and Water Management Act, and the Flood Risk Regulations 2009, once the 2011/12 government grant settlement for the City is clearer.

REASON:      In order to fulfil the Council’s obligations under the Flood and Water Management Act and the Flood Risk Regulations 2009.

                        (ii)        That Officers be requested to arrange for the Sandbag Policy to be published on the Council’s website and for a suitable article summarising the Policy to be made available for publication in appropriate ward committee newsletters.¹

REASON:      To allow the efficient and effective distribution of sandbags in a flood emergency situation.