Flood risk management - our responsibilities
Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, we are the Lead Local Flood Authority for our area; we are responsible for:
- developing and maintaining a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy
- maintaining a register of physical features that have a ‘significant’ effect on flooding in our area
- investigating incidents of local flooding – we will publish the results of an investigation where this is considered 'significant'
- promoting sustainable development – this includes sustainable drainage approaches on new developments
- regulating works on ordinary watercourses – we issue consent and take enforcement action
- designating structures and features that affect flooding – this requires the owner of a designated feature to seek consent from the authority to alter, remove, or replace it
- co-ordinating flood risk management across our area
Call 999 in an emergency. To report a flood incident or a situation which you think may result in flooding, please contact floodrisk@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk (this is not a 24-hour contact). Please report public road flooding to the highways team.
We have further drainage responsibilities under the Act as a Highway Authority.
We have powers of enforcement under The Land Drainage Act (1991), to ensure that watercourses are maintained to a satisfactory condition. Our Enforcement Policy was adopted under the Delegated Decision Notice dated 3 March 2023.
We are not able to offer grants for properties damaged by flooding or for uptake of property level resilience measures, however advice on property level resilience is available on our website and from agencies such as the National Flood Forum.