Agenda item

To present a Draft copy of the Local Flood Strategy.

To accept the report and to recommend:

·       That more information was required about the maintenance work programme for gulleys and culverts in the Strategy.

·       Consideration should be given to adapting the document so that only the current information is noted about the Local Development Plans under points 4.1.4 and 4.1.5.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Engineering and YGC, Steffan Jones (Head of Highways, Engineering and YGC Department), Rhydian Roberts (Chief Engineer) and Rob Williams (Water and Environment Service Manager).⁠ Attention was drawn briefly to the following main points:

Members were reminded that parts of the draft local flood strategy had been submitted to the Committee meeting on 30 November 2023. In response to the Committee's observations where it had been suggested that a risk from highway flooding could have a substantial impact on our communities and that the Strategy needed to address these risks sufficiently, attention was drawn to the fact that a new action had been added to the strategy, namely Action 2.3A. It was confirmed that a public consultation would be held on the Strategy for a six-week period, commencing on 26 February 2024. It was ensured that the department was in contact with the Communication service to ensure that as many people as possible responded to the consultation, in order to share local knowledge via a questionnaire or phone call. It was hoped that residents would see the consultation being advertised in their local newspaper and on social media; it would also be uploaded on the Members' website for them to share it with their electors.

It was explained that developing a Local Flood Strategy was one of the requirements of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. It was also detailed that the strategy had to be consistent with the National Flood Strategy published by Welsh Government in 2023.

Members were reminded that the department had submitted the proposal of considering inland and coastal flood risks separately within the new Strategy, at the Committee meeting on 27 October 2022. It was explained that they were being considered separately due to:

·       The nature of the risk and the ability to mitigate them.

·       Difference in statutory and passive roles/responsibilities

·       ⁠Policies and strategies along with differences in the project funding structure by Welsh Government.

Members were guided through the Strategy and attention was drawn to historical matters, area plans, the division of public bodies' responsibilities, actions, financial matters and the strategic objectives of improving understanding and awareness of flood risks.

It was reported that maintaining culverts and gullies was crucial to manage water levels near roads and properties. It was confirmed that it had been programmed to empty the culverts at least once a year with additional attention to locations where difficulties had appeared regularly in the past. It was detailed that culverts with flood risk management, located beyond highway areas, received attention every fortnight in winter and every 4 weeks in the summer. It was updated that two of the culverts were being monitored by installed cameras, which sent messages when water levels were raised and allowed them to receive timely attention. It was elaborated that this enabled the department to take timely and more specific action.

It was explained that the department had a specific e-mail address and a useful app to draw the department's attention to any problems relating to culverts and gullies locally. Consideration was given to the possibility of updating locations where the department had recently been working on a specific map on the Members' website, allowing them to see whether the problems in their areas had been resolved. It was noted that this had been developed for other services such as salt bin locations and the department would investigate to see if it would be possible to update it with this work. It was confirmed that the Department would share the culvert and gully cleaning work programme with the members.

In response to an enquiry, the Head of Highways, Engineering and YGC confirmed that a change would be made to sections 4.1.4 and 4.1.5 of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (Draft) to refer to the 'Current Plan' rather than specific local development plans to ensure that the report was up-to-date.

It was reported that the Department was collaborating with the Information Technology service on a sensors trial scheme. ⁠It was noted that there were currently five sensors in operation which monitored the change in water levels. It was confirmed that this allowed the Department to resolve problems as they arose, and that red dots appeared on a map when incidents were afoot. Pride was expressed that the Department had recently received a national award for this innovative scheme.

It was confirmed that a public consultation on the strategy was about to start and the responses of the consultation would be submitted to the Cabinet, along with the Committee's observations. It was ensured that Members would receive further information about local problems as the Department attended the Area Forums over the next few weeks.

RESOLVED

To accept the report and to recommend:

·       That more information is required about the maintenance work programme for gullies and culverts in the Strategy.

·       Consideration should be given to adapting the document so that only the current information is noted about the Local Development Plans under points 4.1.4 and 4.1.5.