Operational flood working groups
Wiltshire council has set up two Operational Flood Working Groups, one in the north and the other in the south of county.
The groups operate under strict terms of reference and are chaired by Councillor Jonathon Seed who is the portfolio holder for flooding.
The groups mirror the river catchment areas operated by the Environment Agency and are a forum for stakeholders with interests in:
- Highways surface water
- Surface water run off
- Drainage and flooding to consider the issues relating to flooding and drainage within their respective catchment areas
Stakeholders include:
- Wessex Water
- Thames Water
- Highways Agency
- Network Rail
- Environment Agency
These issues cover such items as:
- Identifying lead authorities for each issue to enable better more focused, efficient and coordinated response, enabling resources and funding to be targeted effectively
- To make recommendations for bids to fund major projects
- To consider proposals for prioritising funding and programming of schemes
- To implement government legislation on drainage and flood management
- To comply with legal requirements to map our surface water and establish collaborative information with our partners
- To respond to community area boards in respect of flooding and drainage issues
- To communicate with members of the public regarding the work we are doing via the Wiltshire Magazine and parish newsletter
Initial requests for assistance from the public will be assessed by staff from the divisional highways offices. If they cannot be dealt with locally they will be referred to the drainage engineers. The weather and drainage manager will prioritise schemes in accordance with the following criteria,
Flooding affecting | Objective | Response |
---|---|---|
People | Protect life | Evacuation |
Houses | Protect life and dwellings | Flood alleviation equipment |
Commercial property | Project property | Protect critical utilities infrastructure |
Roads | Protect life, dwellings and essential access to main roads | Road closures, diversions and flood alleviation equipment |
Gardens/Agricultural Land | None | No action taken |
Downloads - Meeting notes
Downloads - Town and Parish ditch project
Environment Agency guidance - owning a watercourse