Monmouthshire County Council is seeking views from residents, businesses and organisations on its recently published Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. Developed in line with Welsh Government guidance the strategy can be viewed here on the council’s website.
The final date for responses is Friday 15th February.
This strategy is a key step to ensure that for the first time the risk of flooding in Monmouthshire is tackled by combining the work of local authorities, government bodies and water companies with that of communities and individual households. It considers how a range of activities can help manage flood risk. These include better planning so that new developments decrease rather than increase risk and recognising where flooding is most likely to strike.
The Strategy identifies key objectives set by the Welsh Government:
- reducing the impact of flooding on individuals, communities, businesses and the environment
- raising awareness and engaging people in the response to flood
- providing an effective and sustained response to floods
- prioritising investment in communities most at risk
To meet these objectives the council has categorised a number of measures to prevent flooding where possible, increase preparedness and identify better protection from flooding from all sources.
The Strategy also deals with the assessment of flood risk in the county. As a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) Monmouthshire CC has responsibility for flooding emanating from ordinary watercourses, surface water run-off and ground water while flooding from other sources such as the sea, sewers and reservoirs is dealt with by other bodies. A significant area of Monmouthshire is at risk from the sea and this impacts not just on homes and property but major infrastructure such as electricity supplies, railways and motorways, affecting the whole of South Wales.
County Councillor Bob Greenland, Cabinet Member for Modernisation, Enterprise and Communications said: “The Flood Risk Management Strategy is the council’s statement of intent about what needs to be done to tackle flooding in Monmouthshire. We hope it will help Monmouthshire residents to become better informed of everyone’s responsibilities, how to find out more about their flood risk and what we can do to help residents to become safer.
We recognise that in the past the different organisations involved in risk management have not always worked together effectively enough in tackling the difficult problems that flood risk often creates. It is vital that organisations work better not just with each other but crucially with the public. This is why the Strategy details the roles and responsibilities of all major stakeholders, including households and community groups, so that there is better clarity and understanding about when different stakeholders should be involved.
Hardcopies will also be available at the One Stop Shops and main libraries at Abergavenny, Monmouth, Chepstow, Caldicot & Usk
Comments should be sent by email to: [email protected] before Friday 15th February 2013.