Leicestershire - Local Flood Risk Management Strategy - Consultation Open

The consultation runs from 5^th June 2023 to 13^th August 2023.

Flooding has had a significant impact on local communities and businesses in Leicestershire. Climate change is predicted to increase the risk of local flooding and the impacts will be felt more widely.

Leicestershire County Council have to produce and maintain a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for the county. In 2015, the first Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for Leicestershire was published. The Strategy was developed to understand and manage local flood risk within the county, by creating better knowledge of our risks, better co-operation between organisations involved in flood risk management and better communication with the public.

An update to the 2015 Local Flood Risk Management Strategy was required and we are now seeking the opinions of residents and businesses as to the proposed changes.

Now you can have your say on the proposed changes to the Strategy as well as an opportunity to provide observations about any history of flooding, both in your property and locally in Leicestershire.

About the proposed Strategy

The strategy looks at how the risk of flooding can be managed from small 'ordinary' watercourses such as ditches, streams and brooks which overflow, surface water (where water collects after extreme rainfall), and ground water which rises up from underlying rocks or water flowing from underground springs.

Among the key objectives of the Strategy are:

• Effective planning policies, guidance and approval processes to help ensure that development is not at risk and doesn't increase risk of flooding elsewhere.
• Information and support regarding maintenance of watercourses by owners of land which relates to or near to riverbanks.
• Details of how local projects are being developed for at-risk communities..

Leicestershire County Council have identified a number of measures to achieve the objectives. These are detailed in the Strategy Action Plan which we will monitored and updated regularly.

Have your say

A 10-week public consultation is taking place from 5^th June 2023 to 13^th August 2023.

Have your say on the Strategy update and provide your flooding knowledge and history by completing our online survey

For paper copies of the survey, please email flooding@leics.gov.uk

Find the detailed commitments below:

1. Updated Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for Leicestershire
2. Strategy Action Plan
3. Asset Register and Record Policy
4. Formal Flood Investigations Policy
5. Ordinary Watercourse Regulation and Culverting Policy
6. Assessment of Local Flood Risk
7. Strategic Environmental Assessment
8. Habitats Regulations Assessment

Alternative formats

If you're able to, please complete this survey online using the link above.

For alternative formats of the survey including paper copies, please email flooding@leics.gov.uk.

The closing date to complete the consultation survey is 13^th August 2023.

What happens next

During the consultation, the team will receive regular updates on responses received and once the consultation has closed, will review all of the feedback received and consider any necessary amendments.

Your feedback will help shape the final Strategy and a summary of the consultation will be available to view on our You said, we did page (date).

This is only the start of the conversation about raising awareness of local flood risk and improving resilience to future flood events. At the end of the survey there is an opportunity to leave your email address to be updated on how the work progresses.

Source: Leicestershire County Council