Agenda item

Paul Crick, KCC Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement, introduced the report of the KCC Cabinet Member for Community Services setting out the lessons learned from the Christmas/New Year 2013/14 storms and flooding (and previous severe weather events) and a series of recommendations for how the County Council, in collaboration with its partners, could be better prepared to manage any such future events and flood risk.

Stuart Beaumont, KCC Head of Community Safety and Emergency Planning, then gave a short presentation outlining the effects of the storms and floods and the key recommendations.  It was noted that Maidstone and Tonbridge and Malling were the two Boroughs with the most affected areas, but there had been no deaths, casualties or reports of hospitalisations.  Given the unprecedented circumstances, staff, systems and procedures had coped well, but there were areas for improvement including the need for:

• A visible presence on site in affected areas;

• The rapid deployment of sandbags;

• Enhanced arrangements for warning and informing the public, including contingency arrangements in the event of power outages and greater use of social media;

• Greater flood awareness and individual/community resilience;
• A review of potential flood defence schemes; and

• The consequences of flood risk to be fully considered before promoting development in flood risk areas.

A Member made reference to the Brishing Dam, Boughton Monchelsea, and the responsibility of the Parish Council to finance its maintenance.  The KCC Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement advised the Board that he would be meeting with the Environment Agency the following day to discuss Medway Valley flood alleviation and he would raise the issue then.  In addition, he would ensure that Max Tant, KCC Flood Risk Manager, was available to attend any meeting arranged between the Parish Council and the Environment Agency to discuss the matter.

During the discussion reference was made to the following:

• District/Borough Councils had been proactive in promoting the Central Government Repair and Renewal Grant, but take-up across the County had been limited.  Enquiries had been made as to whether a group application could be made for funding towards the cost of community flood defence schemes, but the criteria did not allow for this.

• The Flood Recovery Minister for Kent had given a commitment to raise as a priority the effectiveness of the response of the various utilities companies, particularly the power, water and sewerage providers.

• A review had been undertaken to increase resilience across KCC and its partner authorities in order to be better prepared in future.  This included training reservists.

• There were concerns about the arrangements for surface water run-off both during and after the construction of new housing development at Langley Park.  The MBC Head of Planning and Development undertook to provide this information outside the meeting.

• There was a need to manage flood risk within the planning system.  The Environment Agency was a statutory planning consultee, but KCC would only comment on the potential flooding issues associated with a planning application if consulted.  The KCC Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement and the MBC Head of Planning and Development undertook to draw up a rationale for consulting KCC on the potential flooding issues associated with planning applications.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the report and presentation be noted.

2.  That all the various agencies be thanked for their response to the severe weather events experienced over Christmas/New Year 2013/14.