Issue - meetings

To note the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment update.

The New Communities Senior Planning Officer said the report had been compiled by consultants JBA and highlighted all types of flood risk throughout the district.  This provided evidence to make informed decisions as to where and how developments took place.

Jo Chillingworth from JBA Consultants presented the report.  She set out the next steps which involved looking at the flood risk percentages compiled using data from the ‘call for sites’ boundaries.  Once the sites had been shortlisted a decision would be made as to whether a more detailed Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) needed to be carried out.

Councillor Pavitt said the report highlighted the need for policies in order to better understand where the development sites should be situated.  He said there was a case for excluding development near main waterways because of flood displacement, to protect the function of rivers to be natures corridor and because of the Council’s function as a custodian to protect and restore chalk streams.   He said the report focused on enabling development but did not cover these points. 

He said that page 280, 5.1 Historical Flooding was missing data he said that this needed to be captured from the Parishes and Members as it was important to have as accurate data as possible. 

Ms Chillingworth agreed but said there was more detailed information on historical flooding events in Appendix F. 

There was further discussion as the report data in appendix F only went up to 2016 and although further data was awaited from Essex County Council it was agreed that the Parish Councils would be able to provide more information on historical flooding.  It was also acknowledged that this would rely on responses from the Parishes and consistency of data provided. 

Councillor Pavitt also raised the Cam and Ely Ouse on page 300 which was a duplication of the data above. 

He finally asked if the areas in flood zone 3B, functional flood plains had been assessed recently to consider climate change.  Ms Chillingworth said that they had been mapped but it was the Council’s decision whether to develop on these sites which were not too widespread within Uttlesford’s district.

In response to a question from Councillor Merifeld who asked if a policy could be developed in terms of flooding from street drains which were not cleared properly.  The Local Plans and New Communities Manager said that a policy could be developed but it would need to be proportionate to the development and could not fix past problems.

The Group noted the report.