Changing the management of two internal drainage districts near Gravesend

West of Gravesend Internal Drainage District August 2014

Currently the Environment Agency manages water levels in the West of Gravesend Internal Drainage District (IDD). However instead of the Environment Agency doing this work, more locally accountable water level management needs to be put in place.

Since April 2013 the Environment Agency and the following local councils have been working with key partners to investigate the most appropriate way forward:

 London Borough of Bexley  Dartford Borough Council  Gravesham Borough Council  Kent County Council

Following feedback that we received from local drainage ratepayers and our own investigations, it has been agreed that the way forward is to no longer have an Internal Drainage Board (IDB) to the west of Gravesend.

West of Gravesend IDD

The current IDD area is a mixture of both rural and urban land use covering 804 hectares (1,987 acres). It includes approximately 1,490 residential buildings and 568 non residential buildings, such as commercial properties, schools and infrastructure.

The district lies within the administrative boundaries of the following authorities:

 Lead Local Flood Authorities: London Borough of Bexley and Kent County Council  Local councils: Dartford Borough Council and Gravesham Borough Council

In this district the IDB has designated 2.5 kilometres of ordinary watercourse to carry out regular maintenance on. There are also 17.5 kilometres of Main River which performs the main drainage function for the area.

Current arrangements

The Environment Agency currently performs all the functions of the IDB, including maintenance and regulatory activities.

The Environment Agency undertakes maintenance on the 2.5 kilometres of designated ordinary watercourses and structures. This maintenance work is funded by local landowners who pay drainage rates and local councils who pay special levies. The remaining ordinary watercourses within the district are currently managed and maintained by landowners at their own expense.

The Environment Agency also regulates and consents works carried out by third parties on the ordinary watercourses within the district. Where works are carried out without consent or where there is a lack of work, the Environment Agency will undertake enforcement action if this causes problems such as increasing flood risk.

www.gov.uk/environment -agency The responsibility for the Main Rivers within the district ultimately lies with the landowner but is supported by the Environment Agency. In practice, the Environment Agency carries out all maintenance on Main Rivers where there is sufficient flood risk justification.

Future arrangements

London Borough of Bexley, Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council and Kent County Council have agreed that once the current IDD and IDB are dissolved in March 2015 a new IDB will not be set up in this area. Without an IDB:

 Riparian landowners (anyone that owns land or property next to a river, stream or ditch) will be responsible for the management and maintenance of these ordinary watercourses within the district.

 The Lead Local Flood Authorities will perform the regulatory role for consenting and enforcement of works undertaken on ordinary watercourses. This means that you will need to contact them if you wish to carry out any works on, within or near the watercourse to gain approval.

 The Environment Agency will continue to maintain Main River and have a strategic overview of flooding.

 Local councils will continue to invest in and deliver local flood risk management activities in partnership with the Environment Agency. These new arrangements will allow local councils to meet local flood risk management needs and priorities.

The “Living on the Edge” guide that is enclosed with this note contains more detailed information on the rights and responsibilities of a riparian landowner.

Who to contact

If you have any questions or want to find out more, please see the contact details below for the relevant organisations that will be able to help.

Organisation Tel number Address Website Environment Agency 03708 506 506 Orchard House, www.gov.uk/environment-agency Endeavour Park, Addington, West Malling, ME19 5SH Kent County Council 03000 41 41 41 County Hall, www.kent.gov.uk Maidstone, ME14 1XQ London Borough of 020 8303 7777 Civic Offices, www.bexley.gov.uk Bexley 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, DA6 7AT Dartford Borough 01322 343434 Civic Centre, www.dartford.gov.uk Council Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1DR Gravesham Borough 01474 564422 Civic Centre, www.gravesham.gov.uk Council 132 Windmill St, Gravesend, DA12 1AU