Tagged: lead flood authority
Schedule 3 – Gone but not quite forgotten yet?
THE HOUSE of Lords became the rather polite battleground last week for an attempt to revive abandoned proposals to establish a separate local authority approval system for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in England and remove developers’ automatic right to connect to the public sewer. Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act (FMWA) […]
“Act With Caution” over Cuts to Infrastructure, ICE warns Government
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has urged the Government to “act with caution” when making spending cuts in areas such as flood risk management, that could impact on the resilience of the UK and its infrastructure networks. In its submission to the Treasury ahead of the July Budget, the ICE warned that proposed public spending cuts threaten many […]
Scotland Consults on Flood Risk
The most comprehensive review of flood risk ever undertaken in Scotland is being carried out by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and local authorities. Sustainable ways to tackle flooding and areas most at risk are being identified in a nationwide consultation. Members of the public and businesses have until June 2 to submit their […]
LLFAs Confirmed as SuDS Planning Consultees
Lead Local Flood Authorities will be a statutory consultee for planning applications with surface water drainage implications on major new developments, the Government has confirmed. In its response to the consultation, “Further changes to statutory consultee arrangements for the planning application process“, the Government says there was strong support for LLFAs providing expertise and technical advice […]
Climate committee chair warns of ‘ineffectual’ SuDS policy
Professor Lord Krebs, chair of the Committee on Climate Change’s sub-committee on adaptation has warned of the risk of an “ineffectual policy” on sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) being introduced in April 2015. A requirement for SuDS is set to be brought in for all developments of 10 properties or more. In a letter to the Secretary […]
Government Expects SuDS Delivery via Planning System
The Government has published its response to the consultation to deliver SuDS via the planning system and made clear its expectation that Sustainable Drainage Systems will be provided in major new developments “wherever this is appropriate” with changes to take effect from 6 April 2015. A statement to Parliament by the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities […]
The Water Framework Directive and Flood Risk Management
A new e-learning module on the Water Framework Directive and Flood Risk Management has been published by the Environment Agency. This module is aimed at anyone who wants to find out more about the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and how it impacts flood and coastal risk management. It will be of particular interest to people […]
What does the future of SuDS hold?
Defra have clearly indicated that schedule 3 will be implemented in April 2014 and as promised there will be six months notice. The language initially used was “we will” however the language has started to change to “we aim”. Within the Defra’s response to the EFRA Parliamentary Group the phrase “…” was used six times, […]
Government: Too Slow to Tackle Flooding say MPs
The Government has been too slow to implement changes that would protect homes and businesses from the shattering effects of flooding and needs to get on with implementing them, MPs have warned in the run-up to scrutiny of the draft Water Bill. The select committee for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) sets out the […]
Cornwall Council Seeks Funding Reassurances from Government
Cornwall Council is to write to the Defra Minister seeking assurances that the Government will continue to provide funding to enable the authority to carry out its responsibilities for flood management. The Flood and Water Management Act introduced by the Government in 2010 gave local councils a number of new statutory duties related to flood […]
Local Authority Survey – SuDS: The State of the Nation
Engineering Nature’s Way is launching SuDS: The State of the Nation, a national survey to investigate local authorities’ preparations for new SuDS approving roles and to gain insights into their vision for the use of SuDS in future. The survey follows the Government’s announcement of a further delay in the start-up of the new SuDS […]
New Training and Guidance Meets SuDS Approving Body (SAB) Concerns
Local authority delegates attending the first of our new training sessions for SABS have welcomed the guidance and support it has provided against a background of continuing uncertainty. The training, organised by Hydro International, Arup and Micro Drainage Ltd is dedicated to providing practical and pragmatic advice to SABS on how to interpret Government guidance […]
The Top 7 Unanswered Questions on SuDS Standards
With one voice, a cry for ‘clarity, clarity, clarity’ has gone out to Government in response to the National SuDS Standards consultation. There are strong indications that both local government and industry believe the standards, as they currently stand, are not yet fit for purpose. The devil is definitely in the detail as far as […]
More warnings of flood risk funding shortfalls from MPs and insurers
MPs have warned of a serious ‘mismatch’ between the need to manage flood risks effectively in England and the available budget. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee’s report on Flood Risk Management in England warns that there is great deal of uncertainty about whether there will be enough money to maintain and improve flood […]
NCE Flood Management Conference
New Civil Engineer is hosting its annual Flood Management Conference in December with a line-up of high profile speakers According the NCE, the expert speakers include: Dr Jean Venables, Chief Executive, Association of Drainage Authorities David Rooke, Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency Daniel Johns, Head of Funding, Insurance & Outcomes, Defra […]
Public Spending Watchdog warns of Local Authority Skills Gap in Flood Risk Management
The National Audit Office – the public spending watchdog – has warned that giving greater responsibility and discretion to local authorities to identify flood risk and target investment ‘raises significant challenges’, especially during a time of budget cuts and other newly devolved responsibilities. In a report published today, the NAO says it considers that greater […]
Pioneering SUDS in Oxfordshire
Plans to increase housing provision in the picturesque historic market town of Witney, 10 miles west of Oxford are set out in the Oxfordshire Structure Plan which makes provision for some 3,000 dwellings up to the period 2016. One such site, on the former playing fields of Henry Box school, was identified by Oxfordshire County […]
Local authorities build up flood management skills
Local authorities’ expertise on flood risk management has increased significantly in the last year, according to a report in New Civil Engineer. According to the report, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) surface water team Roger Orpin told an ICE East of England flooding conference, that council’s understanding had increased dramatically. Read the […]
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) – the challenges ahead for SABs
We have come a long way in the last 10 years in getting surface water drainage considered at masterplanning stage on larger developments. Their outline planning applications are generally accompanied by a comprehensive flood risk assessment and drainage strategy. There is still, however, a real difficulty in getting these outline proposals reflected in the detailed […]
SUDS From the Start
Local Authority Shared Case Study: An Aylesbury housing development demonstrates how Local Authorities should insist on SUDS principles from the outset of master planning. This is one of a series of case study examples shared by Local Authorities on Engineering Nature’s Way to outline the experiences of local authorities in introducing SUDS principles in their […]
“Stormwater Management – What about quality?” Conference (12/5/11)
A QUESTION of quality set the agenda for a keynote industry conference to discuss the future of urban stormwater management and surface water treatment in the UK. A speakers’ panel of highly-respected industry experts and leading academic took to the podium at the Arup Campus, Solihull on May 12, 2011 to to explore differing multi-national experiences in […]
“Stormwater Management – What about Quality?” Conference (12/5/11)
A QUESTION of quality set the agenda for a keynote industry conference to discuss the future of urban stormwater management and surface water treatment in the UK. A speakers’ panel of highly-respected industry experts and leading academic took to the podium at the Arup Campus, Solihull on May 12, 2011 to to explore differing multi-national experiences in […]
Who will be the Consenting Body for Ordinary Watercourses?
The Government in its wisdom has decided to spread the enactment of the Flood and Water Management Act over a period of at least two years. From a recent meeting I attended, I understand from Defra that another element of the Act will be announced this October or perhaps next April, and this is who will be the Consenting Body for Ordinary Watercourses. Although this may be one of the small changes the Act makes, it is quite important.
Tonbridge Flood Plain Compensation
In developing 25 homes at Cannon Lane and Brook Lane in Tonbridge, Kent, Hillreed Homes had to implement specialist measures for building on a flood plain.
Download a copy of the 2016 SuDS Survey Report
