Agenda item

Max Tant (Flood and Water Manager) and Bronwyn Buntine (Sustainable Drainage Team Leader) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Tant introduced the report that outlined the three separate policy items, which subject to approval from the Committee, were to be adopted as part of the Flood Risk Management Policy. This included an update to the Drainage and Planning Policy, the introduction of a Land Drainage Policy; and an updated Section 19 Reporting Policy, all of which had been updated to reflect KCCs functions, current guidance, best practice and clarified KCCs role in flood risk management. Mr Tant referred in particular to the updated Section 19 Reporting Policy and informed Members that based on lessons learned, a public report would only be produced where internal flooding had affected five or more properties or critical infrastructure assets in a localised area. 

2.    Officers responded to comments and questions as follows:

(a)  With regard to the installation of ponds on new developments and the issues around long-term maintenance of the SuDS assets, Ms Buntine informed the Committee that recent incident within the Tovil area was the rationale behind the introduction of the verification report condition which ensured that information was gathered on drainage systems and that they were implemented as approved.  Ms Buntine advised Members that Borough Councils would need to include conditions for developers to provide the details of such assets within the planning approval and would expect Borough Councils to consult with KCC on any major sites.

3.    It was RESOLVED that the proposed decisions (19/00087, 19/00088 and 19/00089) to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment to

(a)   adopt the following policies:

·         Drainage and Planning Policy (19/00088)

·         Land Drainage Policy (19/00087)

·         Section 19 Reporting Policy (19/00089); and

(b)  delegate to the Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement the authority to make any further modifications which may be necessary such as formatting changes and typographical errors in order to publish these policies,

be endorsed.