12:30pm Wednesday 6th May 2009
By Jack Blanchard
NEW proposals aimed at preventing a repeat of the floods which devastated Worcestershire and other parts of England in 2007 have been welcomed.
The Government has unveiled the draft version of its long-awaited Flood and Water Management Bill, which aims to bring the laws around flood prevention up to date for the 21st century.
The Bill follows last year’s report into the 2007 floods by Sir Michael Pitt, which found “clear gaps” in how well prepared the UK is to deal with flooding.
City MP Mike Foster said: “These plans should help tackle flooding more effectively and make sure local people have the information they need, when they need it. This is real help that will protect people from flooding more effectively in the future.”
The proposed Bill aims to clear up the long-standing confusion caused by numerous different public bodies having responsibility for different types of flooding.
Instead, the Environment Agency will be given a national flood prevention role, while Worcestershire County Council will be put in charge of preventing floods locally. The council will be required to develop anti-flood strategies in partnership with other public bodies, produce local flood risk maps and ensure other organisations are doing all they can.
Crucially, County Hall will be given responsibility for dealing with the growing risk posed by surface water flooding – floods not caused by over flowing rivers or the sea – which is estimated to have been responsible for about two thirds of the 2007 floods.
The council will produce a strategic map of all the county’s ditches and gullies and co-ordinate efforts with landowners and district councils to keep them clear.
County cabinet member for the environment Councillor Derek Prodger said: “I welcome these extra responsibilities – I believe the county council is well-placed and has the necessary expertise to deal with these issues.
“However, we must be given the necessary funding from Government to reflect the extra work being asked of us. I can’t fund this out of my highway’s budget.”
Mary Dhonau, the Worcester-based head of the National Flood Forum, said she agreed the county must be properly funded.
She said: “This is the most important flooding Bill this country has seen for many, many years. Its impact will be far-reaching.
“If your home is being flooded you don’t care where the water has come from, and you don’t want to be told that particular water is someone else’s responsibility.”
To see the draft Bill online, click here.
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