Flooding

Use this information to identify:

• properties, roads, and critical infrastructure at risk - make a note of the type of flood risk, the potential depth and flow
• drains or gullies that, if blocked, would cause flooding - speak to your highways engineer for advice (see our Contact us - Highways page)
• vulnerable residents, like the elderly, disabled (don't forget visitors, who won't know the area)
• where your safe sites are during a flood
  • where can vulnerable people go
  • safe access routes if there is a medical emergency - speak to your highways engineer for advice (see our Contact us - Highways page)

Make a list of contact details and set up communication channels for:

• vulnerable residents
• critical infrastructure owners
• safe sites

Remember, any personal information is subject to Data Protection. Keep it safe and secure with limited access.

If you have flooding equipment it is important to:

• plan where you will store it
  • consider asking local farmers and businesses
• know how you will access it safely
• set up a stock and maintenance system 
• arrange training for anyone who may need to use the equipment
• carry out operational risk assessments

Does anyone in your community own specialist equipment, that they are qualified to operate, that could be called upon in an emergency. For example, chain saws, tractors, anyone with medical skills.

For ditches and gullies that pose a risk:      

• list or map them in your plan
• keep a record of who is responsible for maintaining them (the landowner) 
• use the process advised and the ditch letters to engage with the landowner (see: Operational flood working groups)
• discuss any that affect roads with your area highway engineer (see our Contact us - Highways page)

Remember, any personal information is subject to Data Protection. Keep it safe and secure with limited access.

Include ETHANE in your plan to keep each other, and the emergency services, updated using the same format to monitor the situation:

E - Exact location: what is the exact location or geographical area of the incident? Be as precise as possible, using a system that will be understood by all responders, consider using: The simplest way to talk about location (what3words.com) (opens new window).

T - Type of incident: what kind of incident is it? In this case, flooding.

H - Hazards: what hazards or potential hazards can be identified? Consider the likelihood of any hazard and the potential severity of any impact.

A - Access: what are the best routes for access and egress (exit)? Include information on inaccessible routes, and rendezvous points (RVPs). Remember that emergency services need to be able to leave the scene as well as access it.

N - Number of casualties: how many casualties are there, and in what condition? Use an agreed classification system, such as Major Incident Triage Tool (england.nhs.uk) (opens new window).

E - Emergency services: which, and how many, emergency responder assets and personnel are required or are already on-scene? Consider whether the assets of wider emergency responders, such as local authorities or the voluntary sector, may be required.

Agree what organisations would be useful to follow, and set up your own channels to help you communicate and share resources before it floods. Consider:

• creating a Facebook page
• setting up an account on 'X' (previously known as Twitter)
• creating a WhatsApp group

The groups operate under strict terms of reference, the portfolio holder is Cllr Nic Puntis. Other positions include:

• Cllr Nic Puntis, chair of the northern group
• Cllr Andrew Davis, chair of the southern group
• Cllr Charles McGrath, chairs the Salisbury meetings

The groups roughly align with 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
• groundwater

Stakeholders attending these meetings include:

• Wessex Water
• Thames Water
• Highways Agency
• Network Rail
• Environment Agency
• Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue service
• Wiltshire Police

These issues cover items such 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:

Town and parish councils wishing to attend the meeting are to advise the secretary of the group via drainage@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) of their attendance and issues they would like discussed.

The meetings alternate monthly between the north and south of the county.

North Flood Group Nov 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 124 KB)(opens new window)

South Flood Group October 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 128 KB)(opens new window)

North Flood Group September 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 18 MB)(opens new window)

South Flood Group August 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 27 KB)(opens new window)

North Flood Group July 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 41 KB)(opens new window)

South Flood Group June 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 34 KB)(opens new window)

North Flood Group May 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 133 KB)(opens new window)

South Flood Group April 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 105 KB)(opens new window)

North Flood Group March 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 41 KB)(opens new window)

South Flood Group February 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 90 KB)(opens new window)

North Flood Group January 2024 (OpenDocument text format, 33 KB)(opens new window)

Videos and presentations

Videos were used during our recent Winter Preparedness Event to demonstrate the vital work that Wiltshire Council and partners undertake year round:

• planning process, flood risk, and drainage - notes for parish councils: read the presentation Planning, flood and drainage information for parish councils (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)
• groundwater and groundwater flooding in Wessex, with Guy Parker from the Environment Agency: watch the video YouTube: Groundwater flooding in Wessex (opens new window)
• whistle-stop Wiltshire parts 1 and 2 - a two-part video taking a trip around both the river Avons that rise in Wiltshire; the Bristol Avon and the Hampshire Avon. We speak to Melvin Wood, who talks to us about the Bristol Avon catchment, and Jim Wreglesworth, who works in the Hampshire Avon Catchment. We visit the Great Somerford gauging station, and have a tour of the flood defence scheme at Harnham in Salisbury: watch the videos, part one (opens new window), part two (opens new window)
• Parish Stewards: watch the video (opens new window)
• SSEN, winter preparedness: watch the video (opens new window)
• Environment Agency - FORT (opens new window) - what is it, how will it benefit your community, and how to use it
• Harnham Flood Defences - a virtual tour of Harnham Flood Defences and how the Environment Agency manages flood risk in the Hampshire Avon catchment in Wiltshire
• Shaw & Whitley Flood Group - a video from the Shaw & Whitley flood group, set-up following several flooding events in their community: watch the video (opens new window)
• Wessex Water - how they deal and are dealing with Groundwater and sewer flooding: watch the video (opens new window)
• groundwater - a must for all those communities affected by groundwater, understanding how it works and how it affects our communities
• Planning & Drainage - explains how the drainage team interacts with the planning system to help reduce flood risk to new developments and their communities
• Building a sandbag wall: watch the video (opens new window)

GOV.UK: Collection - Water situation reports for England (opens new window) - the latest Environment Agency South West Water report.

Wiltshire council often approaches landowners to request that they clear overgrown and blocked ditches, and watercourses where there is a risk of flooding. There is an extensive network of watercourses and ditches in the county. It has been found that parish and town councils have, in many cases, been successfully able to provide valuable assistance in identifying and helping to resolve these issues, including working with us to help reduce the risk of flooding in their communities.

As part of the partnership working initiative we have asked parish and town councils to become more involved in the early stages of this process and, using their local knowledge and contacts, to make the initial informal approaches to landowners to undertake clearance of their ditch or watercourse.

The suggested approach is set out below:

• an informal approach by (telephone or email) from a parish or town council representative is made, asking a landowner to clear ditches and watercourses
• if there is no action by the landowner, a letter can be sent requesting action
• if the clearance is still not undertaken, a second letter can be sent to the landowners
• should you encounter any problems do not hesitate to contact the council's drainage team, who can then prioritise any further action as appropriate. If necessary, they may also instruct the council's legal team, if any formal legal action becomes necessary, or arrange for a referral to the Environment Agency, where a watercourse is a main river
• if you would like to discuss this matter further, or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Renate Malton, Project Officer, on 01225 712514 (mobile 07827 954856) or by email at renate.malton@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)

Related downloads

Environment Agency guidance - owning a watercourse (opens new window)

Watercourse ditch flood risk (PDF, 36 KB)(opens new window)

First parish letter (PDF, 25 KB)(opens new window)

Second parish letter (PDF, 29 KB)(opens new window)

Lead Local Flood Authorities are required, under Section 21 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, to establish and maintain:

• a register of structures or features which, in the opinion of the authority, are likely to have a significant effect on a flood risk in its area, and
• a record of information about each of those structures or features, including information about ownership and state of repair

The Act goes on to state that the lead local flood authority must arrange for the register to be available for inspection at all reasonable times.

Wiltshire council has chosen to use a web-based system that will be accessible to the public. Through the course of our work on flood investigations and local flood risk assessments we are collecting data on structures and features which are likely to have a significant effect on flood risk within Wiltshire. Examples may include flood defences, bridges, culverts, drainage ditches and embankments. They can be natural or man-made.

We record relevant information about each asset, including its ownership and condition, and why it is significant to local flood risk. This site is still under construction and will be updated periodically as we become aware of further significant assets.

Flood risk asset register (PDF, 2 MB)(opens new window)

Grants of up to £5,000 were made available to eligible local authorities to help homes and businesses become more resilient to flooding by helping to pay for a range of property improvements. 

The Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant is closed for applications but if you have any further information since submitting your application (such as photos, videos, or a survey report), email them to drainage@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Update on cluster site surveys for PFR (Nov 2024)

Surveys are currently being undertaken on successful grant applications, and reports are being prepared or have already been issued. If you have not been contacted to arrange a survey visit, email us: drainage@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Wiltshire Council are unable to recommend contractors or suppliers to carry out works required. Blue Pages: Independent flood directory (opens new window) is an independent flood directory of contractors that may be useful. 

Claiming the Grant

Upon completion of resilience works (property improvements), a claim for payment of the grant should be made by email to: drainage@wiltshire.gov.uk, using our payment request form (available in Word or Open Document Text format):

• Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Grant Payment Form - Storm Babet and Storm Henk (Word doc, 125 KB)(opens new window)
• Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Grant Payment Form - Storm Babet and Storm Henk (OpenDocument text format, 106 KB)(opens new window)

Please note that the following must be provided: 

• photo evidence showing agreed measures have been installed 
• your PFR Survey Report (if not provided by our surveyors)
• invoices for PFR surveys (if arranged privately) and installation works 
• completed and signed PFR Grant Payment Form 

Closing dates for payment requests are as follows: 

• Storm Babet (Oct 23): 1 July 2025 
• Storm Henk (Jan 24): 1 October 2025 

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) confirmed it would be delivering the FRF directly. The scheme eligibility included local authority areas covered by the overarching Flood Recovery Framework for Storm Henk, which includes Wiltshire. The RPA contacted eligible applicants directly, letting them know how much funding they would receive. 

Farm Recovery Funds (FRF) are still being processed by the RPA.