Issue - meetings

-        Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services to report.

Councillor Smith, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Environment and Development Services, which provided a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham in accordance with the requirements of the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and the European Floods Directive, which aimed to provide a consistent approach to managing flood risk across Europe.

The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment was a high level screening exercise which involved collecting information on past (historic) and future (potential) floods, assembling it into a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment report and using it to identify Flood Risk Areas which were areas where the risk of flooding was locally significant and a ten point summary of the main steps was set out in detail as part of the report.

The approach also consisted of a six year cycle of planning based on a four stage process of:-

1.            Undertaking a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA). 

2.            Identifying flood risk areas.

3.            Preparing flood hazard and risk maps.

4.            Preparing flood risk management plans.

The Draft Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment completed by Rotherham in June 2011, identified over 8,500 residential properties in Rotherham as being potentially at risk from surface water flooding, compared with less than 300 properties at risk of flooding from rivers. 106 areas have been identified for prioritisation in subsequent flood risk management planning.

The financial information and risks and uncertainties associated with this assessment were set out in detail as part of the report.

Cabinet Members asked about the mitigation measures on planning applications to prevent residential properties being flooded in the future and were satisfied that the infrastructure works recommended had been completed.

Cabinet Members also noted the transfer of responsibility to the Council for local flood risk management and to the water companies under the Flood and Water Management Act, 2010.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the contents of the Draft Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham be noted.

(2)  That the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham be submitted to DEFRA before December, 2011 for approval.

(3)  That the Final Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham be published for public information.

Graham Kaye, Principal Engineer, presented a report relating to the provision of a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments for Rotherham in accordance with the requirements the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and the European Floods Directive, which aims to provide a consistent approach to managing flood risk across Europe.

It was explained that the regulations imposed new duties on the Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Rotherham, including the responsibility for managing local flood risk in particular from ordinary watercourses, surface runoff and groundwater.

Under the requirements of the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and Flood and Water Management Act 2010, the Lead Local Flood Authorities were responsible for undertaking a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for local sources of flood risk, primarily from surface runoff, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. As a unitary authority, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council was the Lead Local Flood Authority for the Borough of Rotherham.

The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment was a high level screening exercise which involved collecting information on past (historic) and future (potential) floods, assembling it into a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment report, and using it to identify Flood Risk Areas which were areas where the risk of flooding was locally significant.

Reference was made to:-

-          Six year cycle and four stage process

-          Number of residential properties potentially at risk from surface water flooding

-          Areas deemed of national significance noting Rotherham had none (other than the floods of June, 2007)

-          Requirement to develop and maintain a Local Flood Risk Strategy

-          Surface water flood modelling carried out by the Environment Agency

-          Programme for the completion of the final Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment

Resolved:-  (1)  That the contents of the Draft Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham be noted.

(2)  That the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham be submitted to Cabinet for approval prior to submission to Defra before December, 2011 for approval.

(3)  That the Final Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for Rotherham be published for public information.