Local Flood Risk Management Strategy Draft for partner consultation February 2014 Cumbria County Council Environment & Community Services Local Flood Risk Management Document record Version Author Approved by Date Draft for partner Anthony Lane Doug Coyle 14th Feb 2014 consultation 1 | P a g e Local Flood Risk Management Strategy Draft for Partner Consultation - February 2014 Cumbria County Council Environment & Community Services Local Flood Risk Management CUMBRIA LOCAL FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Executive Summary to the Draft for Partner Consultation ............................................................................... 6 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 The aims of the local strategy ...................................................................................................... 7 1.2 What is local flood risk management (LFRM)? ............................................................................. 7 1.3 The context of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy .......................................................... 8 1.4 Background to the Flood & Water Management Act 2010 ........................................................... 8 1.5 Definitions .................................................................................................................................. 9 1.6 Statutory requirements of a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy ......................................... 10 2.0 Flooding in Cumbria ................................................................................................................. 12 2.1 Flooding characteristics. ............................................................................................................ 13 2.1.1 General ..................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.2 Surface water flooding............................................................................................................... 13 2.2 River flooding ............................................................................................................................ 14 2.2.1 Catchment Flood Management Plans ......................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Catchment-based policy and planning........................................................................................ 15 2.3 Coastal flooding and erosion ..................................................................................................... 17 2.4 Surface water ........................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Cumbria Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) ................................................................... 17 2.4.2 Cumbria Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) ................................................................... 18 2.5 Groundwater ............................................................................................................................ 18 2.6 Ordinary watercourses .............................................................................................................. 19 2.7 Sewer flooding .......................................................................................................................... 19 3.0 Flood risk management roles in Cumbria. ................................................................................ 20 3.1 What are risk management authorities (RMAs)? ....................................................................... 20 3.2 RMAs in Cumbria and their flood risk management roles ........................................................... 20 3.3 Governance and partnership arrangements ............................................................................... 22 3.3.1 LLFA Steering Group .................................................................................................................. 23 3.3.2 LLFA Working Group .................................................................................................................. 24 3.3.3 Making Space for Water Groups (MSfWGs) ................................................................................ 24 3.3.4 Flood and Community Action Groups ......................................................................................... 25 3.3.5 Cumbria Resilience Forum Flood Planning Standing Sub-Group .................................................. 25 3.3.6 North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee ................................................................... 26 3.3.7 Northern Coastal Sub-Group ...................................................................................................... 26 2 | P a g e Local Flood Risk Management Strategy Draft for Partner Consultation - February 2014 Cumbria County Council Environment & Community Services Local Flood Risk Management 4.0 Objectives of managing local flood risk .................................................................................... 27 4.1 The Objectives........................................................................................................................... 27 4.1.1 Policy Objective 1 (P1). Reduction in flood risk to the people of Cumbria. .................................. 27 4.1.2 Policy Objective 2 (P2). Increased knowledge and awareness of the factors .............................. 27 4.1.3 Policy Objective 3 (P3). Ensure that flood risk management is integrated within the planning process in Cumbria ................................................................................................................... 28 4.1.4 Policy Objective 4 (P4). Facilitate close partnership working between all risk management authorities ................................................................................................................................ 28 4.1.5 Policy Objective 5 (P5). Improve Community Resilience through awareness of flood risk. .......... 28 4.2 Supporting documents .............................................................................................................. 29 4.2.1 Cumbria County Council Plan 2011-2014.................................................................................... 29 4.2.2 National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy. ................................................. 30 5. Measures supporting the Cumbria Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.............................. 32 5.1 LLFA Duties under the Act (text from the Act is provided in italics).............................................. 32 5.1.1 s.19 Flood investigations ............................................................................................................ 32 5.1.2 Recording, registering and designating structures and features that have a significant impact on flood risk................................................................................................................................... 33 5.1.3 Consenting works on ordinary watercourses .............................................................................. 33 5.1.4 Drainage approval and adoption of SuDS ................................................................................... 34 5.1.5 Scrutiny ..................................................................................................................................... 35 5.2 Cumbria SWMP – risk assessment ............................................................................................. 35 5.2.1 Plan structure ............................................................................................................................ 36 5.2.2 Phase 1 - Strategic Assessment .................................................................................................. 36 5.2.3 Phase 2 - Intermediate & Detailed Assessment .......................................................................... 37 5.2.4 Phase 3 - Options and Action Plans ............................................................................................ 39 5.3 Impacts of Climate Change ....................................................................................................... 40 5.3.1 The Evidence ............................................................................................................................. 40 5.3.2 Key Projections for River Basin Districts in Cumbria .................................................................... 41 5.3.5 Adapting to Change ................................................................................................................... 42 5.3.6 Locally Available Climate Change Information on Catchments within Cumbria ........................... 43 5.4 Partnership working to deliver the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy ................................ 43 5.4.1 Who are our partners? .............................................................................................................. 44 5.4.2 Working with partners to deliver the Policy Objectives .............................................................. 46 6. Local Flood Risk Management Strategy Action