Agenda item

The following questions have been received and will either be responded to during the meeting or a written response will be included in the minutes:

1.      Question from Councillor Robin Stuchbury to Councillor Nick Naylor

In light of recent flooding in Buckingham, I would like to ask if Buckinghamshire Council would consider investigating the proposals from the Environment Agency’s feasibility study to consider improved flood defences in Buckingham (2003), in particular to provide a catchment basin to alleviate flooding within Buckingham? The proposals had not been taken forward following the completion of the study due to funding criteria changes in this period. There was now an obvious need to prevent flooding within the community of Buckingham, as global warming was likely to make such events occur frequently in the coming years.

2.      Question from Councillor Warren Whyte to Councillor Nick Naylor

2a. Given the very late official Flood Warning from the Environment Agency for the River Great Ouse flood in Buckingham and North Bucks on 23 December, will Buckinghamshire Council ask the EA for an explanation as to what went wrong with the Floodline Service on that day, why reports to the EA flood incident line on that evening didn’t get a timely response or trigger action, and what will be done to reassure residents and businesses that the Flood Warning System will be made fit for purpose? 

2b. Can I also be assured that the Council will promptly review the incident to see if a Section 19 report can be expedited and that any outcomes from that review may inform the many stakeholders on any improvements that need to be considered to the management of the river catchment.

Question from Councillor Robin Stuchbury to the Cabinet Member for Transport.

In light of recent flooding in Buckingham, I would like to ask if Buckinghamshire Council would consider investigating the proposals from the Environment Agency’s feasibility study to consider improved flood defences in Buckingham (2003), in particular to provide a catchment basin to alleviate flooding within Buckingham? The proposals had not been taken forward following the completion of the study due to funding criteria changes in this period. There was now an obvious need to prevent flooding within the community of Buckingham, as global warming was likely to make such events occur frequently in the coming years.

Verbal reply given by Councillor Nick Naylor, Cabinet Member for Transport.

The responsibility for main river flooding such as the River Ouse lies with the Environment Agency.  The flooding experienced in December 2020 to Buckingham, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and further downstream does highlight the risks that are faced from flooding and climate change.  Buckinghamshire Council along with neighbouring authorities will be speaking with the Environment Agency to voice our concerns over the flood risk in the Upper Great Ouse catchment and encouraging the Environment Agency to relook at what can be done in the catchment to alleviate and manage flooding through Buckingham and the downstream communities.

Buckinghamshire Council are playing their part to investigate and implement flood management schemes in the very upper parts of the catchment such as on the River Leck Natural Flood Management project where the watercourse are ordinary watercourses and fall under the remit of the Local Authorities and Internal Drainage Boards.  Buckinghamshire Council are also now managing the Buckingham Natural Flood Management project, which has recently begun appraising possible small-scale Natural Flood Management measures that could provide some limited reduction in flood risk to Buckingham Town Centre.

Question from Councillor Warren Whyte to the Cabinet Member for Transport.

Given the very late official Flood Warning from the Environment Agency for the River Great Ouse flood in Buckingham and North Bucks on 23 December, will Buckinghamshire Council ask the EA for an explanation as to what went wrong with the Floodline Service on that day, why reports to the EA flood incident line on that evening didn’t get a timely response or trigger action, and what will be done to reassure residents and businesses that the Flood Warning System will be made fit for purpose?

Can I also be assured that the Council will promptly review the incident to see if a Section 19 report can be expedited and that any outcomes from that review may inform the many stakeholders on any improvements that need to be considered to the management of the river catchment.

Verbal reply given by Councillor Nick Naylor, Cabinet Member for Transport.

The Council are currently following up with the Environment Agency (EA) on the questions of the Flood warnings in Buckingham on 23rd and 24^th December, the response by the EA to issues of flooding reported to their Floodline Service and their operational response to flooding in Buckingham. These questions will form part of the discussions with the EA to review the incident, starting this week.

The events of 23^rd and 24th December were predominantly flooding from the main River Ouse which falls under the responsibility of the Environment Agency. Buckinghamshire Council, through Transport for Bucks, were responding on the ground to the flood incidents by closing roads and delivering sandbags where they were requested. Resources were stretched, as Transport for Bucks are staffed and responsible for responding to highways flooding and drainage issues, not main river flooding.  Buckinghamshire Town Council also delivered sandbags and were involved in the follow up and clear up. Local Authorities are required and resourced to deal with strategic flood management issues, not operational flood incidents, although support was provided to the operational effort by the Strategic Flood Management team.  The scale and extent of this sort of main river flooding requires Environment Agency co-ordination, expertise and leadership.  The question of resourcing for responses to flood incidents is something which will be followed up with Central Government.

I assure you that the Strategic Flood Management Team will carry out Section 19 flood investigations into this dreadful flooding event wherever the criteria laid out in the Buckinghamshire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy are met (https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/4511603/bcc-lfrms-final-version-may-2017.pdf - page 23).

There are currently around ten formal Section 19 Investigations that are likely to be required for the August and October events alone, and this workload is likely to increase substantially given this recent flooding.  I will therefore review with the team how best to deploy the available resources to carry out both these existing investigations and those that arise from the events in the Buckingham area just before Christmas.

A higher priority is given to incidents where the consequences were more severe (e.g. a high number of properties flooded, critical infrastructure affected) and where there are clear issues or actions that should be addressed as a priority by stakeholders.  We can assure you that the key section of any Section 19 report, including any that are undertaken for the Buckingham area, will comprise a set of recommendations for the various authorities, landowners and residents to help move forward with management of the flood risk in the area in the future.

Timescales for publication of a Section 19 report are typically within 10 months of the flood event, though this is dependent on workload and the number of other investigations required.  This criteria has been set and agreed in the Buckinghamshire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (p.23):  https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/4511603/bcc-lfrms-final-version-may-2017.pdf

and by the Strategic Flood Management Committee chaired by the cabinet member and attended by other Council members from across the county.