Strategies, policies and reports

The London Borough of Redbridge, as the Local Lead Flood Authority, holds statutory duties under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to manage local flood risk. This includes developing, maintaining, and implementing strategies and action plans such as the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS), which addresses flooding from surface water, groundwater, and ordinary watercourses. Complementary documents, including action plans, habitat regulation assessments, and strategic environmental assessments, support this strategy.

Key responsibilities also encompass producing a Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) to evaluate and address surface water flood risks through a catchment-based approach and updating this plan periodically. The council investigates significant flooding incidents under Section 19 of the Act, producing reports that clarify responsibilities and responses among Risk Management Authorities.

As a Local Planning Authority, the council conducts Strategic Flood Risk Assessments to ensure sustainable future development while minimising flood risk. Additionally, the council maintains an Asset Register detailing critical infrastructure to assist in understanding and managing local flood risk. These responsibilities are part of the council’s comprehensive approach to safeguard residents, properties, and the environment from the impacts of flooding.

 

As Local Lead Flood Authority, we have a duty, under Section 9 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management. Local flood risk is the risk of flooding from ordinary watercourses, groundwater and surface water.

Redbridge Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024 PDF [0.7mb]

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy Action Plan PDF [0.7mb]

Local Flood Risk Management Habitats Regulation Assessment PDF [1.4mb]

Local Flood Risk Management Strategic Environmental Assessment PDF [0.5mb]

The strategy describes how flood risk will be managed across the borough. It considers the risk of flooding from ordinary watercourses, groundwater and surface water. It outlines our priorities for managing the local flood risk and sets out a delivery plan to manage the risk. An update to the LFRMS is currently on-going this financial year and a new link will be provided once the document is finalised.

 

A Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) is produced by the Lead Local Flood Authority to introduce the predicted surface water flood risk within a given area and outline how it can be managed. This SWMP differs from the previous Redbridge SWMP from 2011 as it adopts a Catchment-based approach. Further information is presented in ‘Methodology of the Catchment-based approach’ section and the Technical Overview document. 

Surface Water Management Plan 2024 PDF [0.6mb]

Surface Water Management Plan Map (due to the data size this map takes approximately 3 minutes to load)

Surface Water Management Plan - Action Plan PDF [0.5mb]

Surface Water Management Plan - technical Overview PDF [0.3mb]

 

We have a duty to investigate flooding when it is 'necessary and appropriate' (Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act).

You can tell us about flooding in the borough, or we may notice incidents of flooding ourselves. When we come to know about flooding we decide whether to undertake a flood risk investigation. We are likely to investigate where:

  • a property has been flooded inside, on more than one occasion.
  • five or more properties have been flooded inside during a single flood incident.
  • critical infrastructure has been affected by flooding.
  • the source of flooding is ambiguous.

The investigation will identify which Risk Management Authority (for example us or the Environment agency) have a flood risk management function in relation to the flood. It will then detail what each authority with a relevant function is going to or has done in response to the flooding incident.

Recent flood investigations

Section 19 Report July 2021 Flooding Event PDF [10.7mb]

Section 19 Report Westwood Recreation Ground November 2022 PDF [2.6mb]

 

Although flooding is a natural event, it can be life-threatening and cause severe damage to property. The risk can’t be removed but can be reduced through good planning and management in order to create safe and sustainable future development.

As the Local Planning Authority we are responsible for assessing flood risk.

You can read the latest Strategic Flood Risk Assessment online, a new one is currently in development and will be published online when it is finalised:  

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment – Level 1 PDF [2.43mb]

 

The Asset register is an online record of assets in the borough. The register contains information about the location, condition and ownership (where available) of each asset. The register does not show you where there is a risk of flooding, but you can use the register to see what assets are in your local area.

Asset Register

 

As the Lead Local Flood Authority, we have powers to designate structures or features with a significant impact on flood risk. We do this to protect structures or features that play a role in reducing flood risk. If we have designated something it usually means that a number of properties would be at a greater risk of flooding if that structure or feature was removed.

The Environment Agency also have powers to designate structures you can find out more on this at Flood and sea defences: designated assets on your land - GOV.UK

A record of the designation will be put onto the Local Land Charges so that subsequent landowners will be made aware of the designation. Once we have designated a feature, the owner must seek consent from us to alter, remove, or replace it.

If you make a change to a designated feature without our consent, we may issue an enforcement notice which will set out the steps that must be taken to restore the feature. You may appeal against a designation notice, refusal of consent, conditions placed on a consent or an enforcement notice.

Contact us at highwaysg@redbridge.gov.uk to find out the structures that have been designated and discuss consent to alter a feature or structure that has been designated.

 

 

 

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