Agenda item

To receive a report from the Flood Risk Manager, which examines the implementation of the Flood Risk Management Strategy over the last 12 months and provides a summary of future measures.

The Board received a report from the Flood Risk Manager, which examined the implementation of the Flood Risk Management Strategy over the last 12 months and provided a summary of future measures.

In attendance for this item were:

-  Cllr Helen Hayden – Executive Member

-  Jonathan Moxon – Flood Risk Manager

Following an introductory presentation setting out the context for the Flood Risk Management Strategy along with examples of ongoing activity in the city, the  following points were discussed:

·  In future the flood sector will need to consider the impact of a changing climate

·  Major flooding incidents emphasise the need to think and act differently

·  How best to utilise the latest technology and balancing engineering with place making.

·  The need to be innovative in securing funding for interventions which can deliver multiple benefits.

·  Identifying ways in which to manage our impact on the planet, reduce our carbon footprint, whilst also delivering infrastructure changes.

·  The Council’s declared Climate Emergency

·  Catchment wide and regional approaches to flood risk management

·  Nature based solutions and green finance models

Members received an update on several individual schemes including Otley Flood Alleviation Scheme, Potternewton Flood Alleviation Scheme and the Killingbeck scheme within the Wyke Beck programme.

Responding to questions and comments from Members the Board was provided with the following information:

·  Natural infrastructure is being used to manage flood risk in many communities and is bringing additional benefits for the environment and local people.

·  Residents need to be made more aware of planning guidance in relation to paving gardens and the process for applying for the relevant permissions.

·  Garden guidance has recently been republished by the planning directorate having been updated in the autumn. This will be circulated to Board members.

·  The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) is a planning document – national guidance set out by the Environment Agency determines the strategic assessment process.

·  The council has undertaken a level one assessment of flood risk which has provided a ‘refresh’ in the Council’s understanding of risk. Officers are awaiting confirmation from the environment agency as to whether they deem this compliant.

·  Once feedback is received from the Environment Agency the Council is intending to commission further modelling as part of a level two assessment to consider the impacts of climate change on the city. That would provide representation of risk across the city and a representation of flood risk with the impact of climate change built in.

·  It is anticipated that the impacts of climate change will increase the risk of different areas of the city flooding and increase the potential frequency of flooding in other places already known to be at risk. 

·  It is hoped that the new SFRA will be in place by September. The current published SFRA is a few years old but bespoke updated information is provided to developers to inform the planning process. The new SFRA will put a lot of that information in the public domain.

·  The Local Plan Update is one of the ways in which the Council can influence place making through new development, including making room for water.

·  Officers provided an update on the collapse of Newlay weir. Despite several requests from the Council, the Environment Agency has yet to provide the structural assessment of the cause of the collapse that has been carried out at its request by an independent consultant. As a result, the weir remains in a collapsed state – some additional work has been undertaken by the Council to protect the design of FAS2 and the Environment Agency has also carried out work on the flood banks to ensure there is no increased risk of flooding for residents. 

·  The heritage status of the weir is compromised by the collapse and the fish pass is not functioning. From a conservation perspective the weir has listed status and should therefore be reinstated. However, from a water framework directive perspective, which is the most significant consideration for the Environment Agency, the weir being collapsed is an improvement in terms of a natural heritage.

·  The work of the flood risk management team provides outcomes relating to all of the Council’s three ‘pillars.’

·  There is a need to revise flood risk calculations in the context of climate change to update the parameters for engineering interventions in future years. 

·  Work with Polly Cook (Chief Officer, Sustainable Energy and Air Quality) on a Resilience and Adaption plan for the city is ongoing.

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted and a further update on the Flood Risk Management Strategy be presented to the Board in 2022/23.