Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

Local Authorities have always had responsibilities in relation to ordinary watercourses, and in practice most have taken the lead in dealing with surface water flooding incidents prior to the changes contained within the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (The Act). Under the terms of the Act, they now become Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFA) and are responsible for what are termed ‘Local Flood Risks’.

Local Flood Risk is defined within the Act as being Flood Risk from:

• Ordinary watercourses (this is a watercourse that does not form part of a main river and includes a lake, pond or other area of water, which flows into an ordinary watercourse).
• Surface runoff (this is rainfall or other precipitation which is on the surface or ground and has not entered a watercourse drainage system or public sewer).
• Ground water (this is water which has percolated into the ground and may form underground ponds or stream which may discharge above ground but lower down the catchment).

All LLFA in Wales are required to develop, maintain (which includes updating and reviewing), apply, and monitor the application of a strategy for local flood risk management in their area (Local Strategy). They must also prepare and publish a summary of the Local Strategy, including guidance about the relevant information. The Act also provides that each LLFA may issue guidance about the application of the Local Strategy in its area.

Managing local flood risk is the responsibility of each LLFA. The Local Strategy must set out who the Risk Management Authorities are in the area and their relevant functions. In developing Local Strategies a LLFA must consult with the public and the other Risk Management Authorities who are affected by the strategy.

In Torfaen County Borough Council as LLFA we have developed our own Local Strategy in keeping with the four overarching objectives for flood and coastal erosion risk management in Wales as set out in the Welsh Government’s National Strategy and listed below.

The four overarching objectives are:

• Reducing the impacts on individuals, communities businesses and the environment;
• Raising awareness of and engaging people in the response to flood and coastal erosion risk;
• Providing an effective and sustained response to flood and coastal erosion events; and
• Prioritising investment in communities most at risk

Download a copy of the Torfaen Local Flood Risk Management Strategy here.