Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Head of Planning and Infrastructure and The Head of HR and Organisational Development presented the report to members.

Members expressed concerns that a private sector body such as Severn Trent was acting as a key advisor and felt that they did not have the district’s best interests at heart. They were uncomfortable that Severn Trent were just getting away with doing what they needed to and agreed that the Council should demand more action and hold them to account.

A member asked for further information on the actual cost of flooding in the District, which would help to inform the Council’s climate action plan.

Members noted the Hugglescote flooding issues and felt that Severn Trent should complete the improvement scheme to the sewage system before any further development took place, as the capacity was not great enough to cope.

A member was pleased to see that the report acknowledged that local knowledge on poor drainage had not been taken into account when approving the development at Measham Road, Moira, as flooding continued to effect the surrounding area.

The Head of Planning and Infrastructure advised members that Severn Trent were a statutory consultee in relation to planning applications, rather than a key advisor and that planning conditions were applied to ensure suitable sewage connection before homes were lived in. In terms of paragraphs 5.4 and 5.5, he was happy to go back to Severn Trent to seek further information and clarification on the works detailed in the report. He stated that he would be happy to speak to members on individual cases and that he would give thought and seek advice to the potential implications, in terms of sewage connection, on any further development in the Hugglescote area.

A member asked for further information on the actual cost of flooding in the District, which would help to inform the Council’s climate action plan.

The Head of HR and Organisational Development advised that he was not aware of any wider financial information in respect of flooding as it would centre around insurance claims from individuals. He noted that much of the flooding prevention work that had been completed by householders under the government grant scheme had involved further additional costs in excess of the £5,000 grant cap. He undertook to investigate this further and to respond to the member’s question.

Some members noted that parishes in their areas had not got Community resilience plans in place and asked if these parishes had been contacted about devising plans. The Head of HR and Organisational Development outlined that work that had been carried out on Community plans and advised that officers would be reviving the work on the plans would make contact, as a priority, again with those parishes to offer assistance with planning their process.

It was moved by Councillor J Geary, seconded by Councillor R Morris and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The report on Flood Management in North West Leicestershire be considered and the comments noted above.

2.    The intention to bring an annual district Flood Management report, to include an update on Partnership working within our communities be noted.

3.    Note the introduction of the new county wide flood reporting system by Leicestershire County Council be noted.