A second phase of consultation will get underway this month as part of the process of updating the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan. Residents will be able to have their say on how flood risk from local sources is managed in the years ahead.
The Council will begin the consultation on Monday, August 21, which is the second phase of public engagement on the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan, following an initial exercise in December 2022 and January 2023. Cabinet was recently updated on the Strategy’s review at the meeting on July 17, and Members agreed for a formal statutory consultation to be held.
As the Lead Local Flood Authority for Rhondda Cynon Taf, the Council must develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management. The existing strategy was implemented in 2013, and under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 it must be reviewed – to ensure it is aligned with the objectives, measures and policies of the Welsh Government’s National Strategy for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management.
The upcoming consultation will allow residents to view a draft version of the revised Strategy and have their say on it. The exercise will present proposals for managing local flood risk in Rhondda Cynon Taf over the next six years. Draft environmental assessments will also form part of the consultation.
The consultation will run for six weeks in total, ending on Monday, October 2. It is aimed at members of the public, Council employees, risk partners and other stakeholders such as neighbouring local authorities. Full details and materials will be included on the Council’s Consultations webpage from August 21 – and will include an online questionnaire for residents to have their say.
All responses received during the process will be considered by officers, and used to update the Strategy where necessary. The final version, plus all of the environmental assessments, will be presented to Cabinet – and if approved, it will be presented to Welsh Government before being adopted in March 2024.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Investment, said: “Investing in flood alleviation measures, to protect our residents and communities from the threat of flooding brought about by climate change, continues to be one of the Council’s main priorities. The Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan is therefore a key policy to underpin our major investment in this area.
“The Strategy covers the potential flood risk from local sources, which include ordinary watercourses, surface runoff and groundwater. As the Lead Local Flood Authority, the Council has a requirement to monitor and revise the Strategy to ensure it is aligned with national policy. Cabinet considered a draft version of the Strategy on July 17, and agreed for officers to undertake a six-week statutory consultation – which will be carried out from August 21.
“In recent years there has been major investment in flood alleviation across the County Borough, using Local Authority and Welsh Government funding. We continue to make progress with our accelerated programme of targeted flood alleviation measures – which includes more than 100 schemes in local communities. The Council has also completed all Section 19 Flood Reports for 19 communities affected in Storm Dennis, to better understand what happened, and how flooding could be alleviated in a similar weather event.
“I urge residents to find out more and have their say in the upcoming public consultation, which will begin on August 21 and be promoted over the next six weeks. All feedback will be considered when officers further update the Strategy, to be sent to Cabinet and Welsh Government for final approval.”
Find out more information on the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy on the Council’s website. This page will be updated when the consultation starts.
Posted on 14/08/2023