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Flood and coastal defence

Environment Agency High Level Targets 
Policy Statement on Flood and Coastal Defence. 
Approved by Cabinet on 9th October 2002.

  • The Government through the Department of Environment, Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA) and subsequently through the Welsh Government, have produced a series of High Level Targets that the Environment Agency and in turn Land Drainage and Coastal Defence Authorities must meet in order to manage and reduce the risk to people and property from flooding incidents.
  • One of the fundamental High Level Targets is for each Authority to provide a publicly available Policy Statement setting out plans for delivering the Governments aims and objectives for flood and coastal defence. This Policy Statement has been prepared in accordance with Government guidelines and standard template
  • The Council has a duty of care to undertake basic maintenance of assets within its ownership in order to prevent or mitigate the risk of flooding to people and property. This Policy serves to clarify the Council's official position with respect to undertaking land drainage works on ordinary watercourses that are in private ownership. i.e the Council does not have the resources for undertaking such works unless resourced from the Council's Capital funds through the round of annual bids. The Policy will therefore be one of enforcement by serving notices under the Land Drainage Act 1991. This position needs to be made clear to members of the public. In addition, the proposed Policy serves to highlight the Council's position with respect to maintenance of assets within its ownership, as well as coastal defence issues, and environmental aspects associated with land drainage and coastal defence activities.