Surface water management plans guidance published
Posted: Wednesday 22nd April 2009
To help local authorities deal with local flood risk, Defra has today published draft guidance for drawing up surface water management plans.
As part of the Government response to Sir Michael Pitt’s review into the summer 2007 floods, it is proposed that local authorities will be given responsibility for co-ordinating the management of surface water flooding in their area in partnership with other relevant authorities.
Six local authorities which have areas with a high risk of surface water flooding - Gloucestershire, Hull, Leeds, Richmond Upon Thames, Warrington, and Thatcham in West Berkshire – are receiving £50,000 each to begin developing their surface water management plans using the draft guidance.
However, the Government is encouraging all local authorities to take early action to improve the management of surface water and the guidance published today will help them to do so.
The guidance is intended as a living draft and will be updated in the Autumn 2009 in response to feedback and lessons learned from the six trial areas.
