New Flood Management Guidelines

Following the increase in severe flooding over the past decade, the Government has published new draft guidelines for surface water management plans.

Surface water flooding occurs when drainage systems are overloaded, and is a particular problem in urban areas.

The bodies involved in managing surface water flood risk include local authorities, water companies, and the Environment Agency. The diffuse responsibility has been an obstacle to cohesive planning. The welcome aim is to create a proper framework under which these bodies will work together to understand and manage local surface water flood risks.

These guidelines can be downloaded from DEFRA’s website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/ policy/swmp-guide.pdf.

For further information on how they may affect you please contact the team on 01245 453812 or email anya.radford@birkettlong.co.uk