Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan

Local flood risk is defined as flood risk from:

• Surface water runoff
• Groundwater; and
• Ordinary watercourses

The Local Strategy sets out the Council’s overarching approach to managing local flood risk in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Why is a Local Strategy needed?

The Welsh Government’s National Strategy for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) in Wales (National Strategy) identifies over 245,000 properties across Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and surface water. As the climate changes, we can expect those risks to increase, with more frequent and intense rainfall, severe floods and rising sea levels meaning more communities will be affected by flooding, including some that are not currently considered to be at risk.

Flooding remains a key threat to communities across Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT).  The storm events of 2020 have emphasised the need to reinforce Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council’s (RCTCBC) strategic priorities for managing local flood risk, improving resilience and climate adaptation. 

What does the Strategy and Action Plan do?

The LFRMS presents the Council’s Objectives and Measures for managing the risk of flooding from local sources in RCT which forms the framework within which communities have a greater say in local flood risk management decisions.

The Action Plan is a detailed plan for managing local flood risk over the next 6 years. These include specific tasks, activities or initiatives to deliver the objectives and measures contained in the Strategy, for example, the design and delivery of a Flood Alleviation Scheme.

What’s changed since the first Strategy?

The Council published their first Local Strategy in 2013. Alongside the Strategy, a Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP) was published in 2015, as required under the Flood Risk Regulations (2009). The FRMP developed the objectives and measures in the Strategy into a detailed plan for managing local flood risk in RCT.

Whilst the Council previously published the Local Strategy and FRMP separately, the revised Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan integrates the two documents into one, so that the Council can communicate local flood risk in a simpler and more effective way.

The revised Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan builds upon the lessons learnt from the first Strategy and sets out how flooding from local sources will be managed across RCT, consistent with the Objectives, Measures and related policies and legislation set out in the National Strategy.

How long does the Strategy last for?

The Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan will be in place for 6 years from the date of publication and will be updated in accordance with future updates to the National Strategy.

The Flood Action Plan will be reviewed and updated every 2 years to reflect the LLFA’s continued delivery against the Objectives and Measures of the Local Strategy.

The Council’s revised Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan is scheduled for publication following Welsh Ministerial approval. 

Should you have any questions or require further information regarding the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan or associated documents, please contact the flood risk management team on FRM@rctcbc.gov.uk or at the following postal address.