Issue - meetings

Many people in Oxfordshire who live in flood prone areas watch the skies with trepidation. In some communities even moderate amounts of sustained rainfall can cause significant flooding that overwhelms outdated flood relief infrastructure. This is often poorly maintained and constructed with no central plan for water management. Sewers are also regularly overwhelmed with infiltration from surface water, causing sewage to leak: putting public health at risk as well as properties.

As the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), the Council has a responsibility to respond to these risks and work with other local authorities to develop flood management plans. We also assess how any new developments will impact on flood prone areas. That role is now more crucial as climate change increases the likelihood and frequency of heavy downpours and flooding across the county.

In the face of these urgent pressures, our powers of intervention are limited by out of date and inadequate guidelines set by central government. These include developers only having to prove that they won’t make flooding worse, rather than helping to alleviate the problem in known flood risk areas.

Council calls on the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and other responsible agencies to work with us to :

1.     Urgently review national planning guidance and legislation on flood prevention.

2.     Provide more powers to LLFAs to prevent or limit developments in known flood risk areas

3.     Require developers to contribute to reducing existing risks in flood prone areas as part of any new development.

The motion was carried with 30 votes in favour; none against and 10 abstentions.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Ian Middleton and seconded by Councillor Robin Bennett.

Following debate, the motion was carried with 30 votes in favour; none against and 10 abstentions.

RESOLVED:

Many people in Oxfordshire who live in flood prone areas watch the skies with trepidation. In some communities even moderate amounts of sustained rainfall can cause significant flooding that overwhelms outdated flood relief infrastructure. This is often poorly maintained and constructed with no central plan for water management. Sewers are also regularly overwhelmed with infiltration from surface water, causing sewage to leak: putting public health at risk as well as properties.

As the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), the Council has a responsibility to respond to these risks and work with other local authorities to develop flood management plans. We also assess how any new developments will impact on flood prone areas. That role is now more crucial as climate change increases the likelihood and frequency of heavy downpours and flooding across the county.

In the face of these urgent pressures, our powers of intervention are limited by out of date and inadequate guidelines set by central government. These include developers only having to prove that they won’t make flooding worse, rather than helping to alleviate the problem in known flood risk areas.

Council calls on the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and other responsible agencies to work with us to :

1.     Urgently review national planning guidance and legislation on flood prevention.

2.     Provide more powers to LLFAs to prevent or limit developments in known flood risk areas

3.     Require developers to contribute to reducing existing risks in flood prone areas as part of any new development.