Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is consulting with local communities and stakeholders to inform the development of its Draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) and supporting documents.
Have your say here – www.stockport.gov.uk/consultation
The closing date for responses is Friday 1st April 2016.
Under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) Stockport Council became a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) responsible for managing local flood risk from surface water, ground water and ordinary watercourses in Stockport.
One of the new duties placed upon Stockport Council to assist in the management of local flood risk as LLFA is to ‘develop, maintain, apply and monitor a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy’.
The LFRMS is intended to demonstrate Stockport Council’s understanding and role in managing the flood risk within the borough of Stockport and its role in working with other key stakeholders and the local community.
The draft LFRMS includes information on potential flooding risks in Stockport, the legislative background and duties of Stockport Council with respect to managing flood risk and the objectives of the strategy. The objectives are supported by a number of measures and an action plan.
Recent flood events in the UK have highlighted further the fact that flood risk in England is expected to increase due to climate change and development in areas at risk. It is not possible to prevent all flooding, but there are actions that can be taken to manage these risks and reduce the impacts on communities, the environment and infrastructure.
Flood risk from Main Rivers such as the Mersey, Goyt and Tame, although a concern and duty for Stockport Council, are still under the management of the Environment Agency. It is predominantly what is classed as Ordinary Watercourses, Surface Water and Ground Water flooding that the LFRMS seeks to address.
Stockport Council will take a proportionate risk-based approach using the budget and resources available to reduce both the likelihood of flooding and the impacts of flooding should it occur.
A fundamental aim of the LFRMS is that Stockport Council embraces and supports its role as LLFA. This means taking the lead in helping with infrastructure development and redevelopment and working with other bodies in dealing with flood risk. Stockport Council wants to encourage and wherever possible enforce current thinking and guidance, and be able to provide improvements through working better together in terms of supporting communities to help themselves.
As part of this consultation, the Council are also seeking feedback on the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitat Regulations Assessment Stage 1 Screening that have been produced as supporting documents to the LFRMS.
Please provide your feedback on the draft LFRMS and background documents by completing the online questionnaire, accessible via www.stockport.gov.uk/consultation.
The closing date for responses to the consultation is Friday 1st April 2016.