Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience.  To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Services.

The Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Services introduced the report which sought approval of the Flood Water Management Investment Plan for 2023/24. 

Councillor Hakata endorsed the report and recommendations.

In response to questions from Councillor Barnes, the following was noted:

-               Thames Water were working with an old, Victorian system, suffering from years of neglect.  The pressure on the system was huge.  In order to help fast track responses, the Council had begun to carry out investigations to find the source of any flooding and refer this to Thames Water for repair.

-               Work was underway on the Queenswood scheme, and was expected to be completed within this financial year.

RESOLVED

1.            To approve the Flood Water Management Investment Plan for the 2023/24 financial year as set out in the attached Appendix 1 of the report.

2.            To delegate decisions relating to flood water management scheme design and implementation to the Head of Highways and Parking, subject to decisions being reported to Cabinet where a key decision is required.

3.            To authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to carry out any required consultation in accordance with Appendix 2 of the report and to make any necessary traffic orders, having had due regard to any prior consultation, to give effect to those schemes, subject to consultation representations regarding key decisions being considered by Cabinet.

4.            To authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to consider any objections and representations and to report back to the Cabinet Member for Inequality and Resident Services if there are significant or substantial objections or concerns raised about a scheme not covering two or more wards.

Reasons for Decision

The FWMIP sets out the Council’s flood water management and highways drainage resilience projects for the coming financial year and how they align with the Council’s strategic objectives.

This report provides detail of the funding arrangements and seeks authority to proceed with the development and delivery of these projects.

Alternative options considered

The Council has a statutory duty to maintain the public highway network and reduce the risk of flooding in the borough. The 2023/24 Flood Water Management Investment Plan has been informed by data from actual flooding events, as well the Council’s Transport and Local Flood Risk Management Strategies, our Surface Water Management Plan, and the developing Highways Asset Management Strategy.

The schemes proposed in this programme are those identified as high priority to reduce the risk of future flooding in the borough. Therefore, no alternative options are considered at this point.