Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/18/8) on the Flood Risk Management Action Plan 2018/2018, attached.

(Councillors Brazil, Dewhirst, Greenslade and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/18/8) on the Flood Risk Management Action Plan 2018/2018 circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Report provided Cabinet with an update of the ongoing development and delivery of essential flood improvements, as set out in the current year’s Flood Risk Management Action Plan and to gain approval for the 2018/19 Action Plan relating to the Council’s role as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA).  The Report showed the Council’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Team had worked in partnership with other Risk Management Authorities (RMAs), including the delivery of collaborative schemes, in implementing the functions and principles set out in the Devon Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and the level of external funding that has been drawn down from Defra, Local Levy and other RMAs.

The Head of Service for Planning, Transportation and Environment referred to the achievements for 2017/18 which had included resolving local issues, reviewing and approving Land Drainage Consents, taking an enforcement case to court, the delivery of the flood improvements set out in the 2017/18 Flood Risk Management Action Plan and the implementation of the new DCC Property Level Resilience (PLR) grant scheme. A fuller update, including an illustrated summary of the work and projects delivered by the Flood and Coastal Risk Management Team in 2017/18, was included at Appendix I to the Report.

The proposed Flood Risk Management Action Plan for 2018/19 was attached at Appendix II and much of the Plan consisted of high priority projects already underway. The completion of these schemes, costing in the region of £3m, should reduce flood risk to over 300 properties, including dwellings and businesses. 

In summary, making Devon more resilient to flooding was a strategic aim for the Council and the Action Plan continued to focus on supporting communities as the risk of flooding continued to be a threat.

The Cabinet noted that a Strategic Environmental Assessment had been produced to support the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which identified that all schemes, during their development, would need to be assessed to ensure the proposals had due regard for the environment and, where possible, enhancements incorporated.  Each review of the potential environmental impacts would be carried out using the corporate integrated assessment tool and ‘Environmental Review’ process at the appropriate time.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability, carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

It was MOVED by Councillor Croad, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the implementation and associated financial allocations of the County Council’s 2018/19 Flood Risk Management Action Plan be approved; and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144