District Council Pledges To Do More To Alleviate Flooding

The last autumn and winter storm season was one of the wettest on record for the UK, seeing an increased number of named storms and flood alerts and warnings in place for a number of consecutive weeks in Newark and Sherwood. Storm Babet and Storm Henk caused significant issues for communities within the district, with many homes and businesses flooded internally and some villages being completely cut off.

The District Council provided an emergency response for both storms, with officers taken from their normal duties, working around the clock to provide assistance and advice to the community during the immediate emergency phase, helping with the clean-up in the immediate aftermath and facilitating the provision of over 430 grants in the following weeks. During the clean-up of storm Henk alone, over 18 tonnes of waste was collected from flood damaged areas, in addition to the clearing and cleaning of the roads to remove debris and mud washed down from the flood waters.

In order to make their support as effective as possible, the District Council has also conducted an emergency planning review which has looked at training for emergency response roles, the creation of specific job roles and requirements, and PPE provision for these staff.

Since the recent incidents of flooding, the District Council has been instrumental in establishing a Flood Partnership Group which incorporates the Environment Agency (EA), Nottinghamshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Team, the Canals and River Trust, and Severn Trent. Discussions within these meetings have raised the need for an update of flood maps based on recent flooding incidents, explored natural methods of mitigation and challenged flood risk calculations where areas predicted to flood only in a 1-in-100-year event have done so twice in a few years.

Another focus has been to increase resilience within local communities themselves. Local flood wardens are co-ordinated by Nottinghamshire County Council and the Environment Agency, and annual flood warden training sessions are now being held at Castle House. The District Council has also been contacting all Town and Parish Councils to understand their emergency preparedness and current flood warden coverage.

Councillors at this week’s Cabinet meeting also endorsed the provision of additional one-off support to our communities through the use of Public Protection reserves, funding resilience stores, basic equipment and training support as well as contributing to flood alleviation schemes like the one currently under construction in Lowdham.

Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “The District Council has no statutory role in relation to flooding but supporting our communities is at the heart of what we do. This is why staff have worked tirelessly over the past two floods and continue to work hard to try to alleviate flooding in our area.

“Over the past two incidents, the District Council has spent over £137,000 and is seeking to recoup these costs from the Government under the Bellwin Scheme. As a result of my Motion being agreed last week, we will also be seeking further funding for emergency preparedness, water safety training for essential responders and speedy financial support for communities’ recovery as well as a sustainable funding solution to the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) levy which has increased in Newark and Sherwood by 59% from £595,400 in 2020/21 to £949,800 in 2024/25.”

Further points raised within the Motion include the national development of a flood mitigation scheme for the Trent, communications tools for at-risk communities, a review of national planning and connection regulations aimed at reducing unauthorised connections into foul sewer systems, consideration of how developments can robustly mitigate flood risk in locations which have suffered flooding even if flood risk maps have not been updated, the resourcing of water authorities to deliver effective flood prevention maintenance on rivers and water courses and consideration of how flood risk agencies and developers can retrospectively address flood risk for developments which were consented before flood risk changes.