Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

This Strategy updates the previous Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2017-2022 and provides the vision, direction and objectives for Buckinghamshire Council as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and an action plan to enable delivery of those objectives.

As LLFA for Buckinghamshire, we have a duty to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management in our area, under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010).

The strategy gives five objectives which are in line with national guidance and the National Flood and Coastal Risk Management Strategy and reflect local strategies and policies within Buckinghamshire:

1. Develop and promote better understanding of flood risk from all sources, now and in the future
2. Work in partnership to build the resilience of our communities to flood risk and climate change
3. Support the development of places that are more climate resilient.
4. Manage flood risk through our capital programme, using sustainable techniques, nature-based solutions and adaptive pathways in delivering our flood risk management activities, projects, and schemes.
5. Improve innovation, skills and resourcing in flood risk management.

The strategy is a relatively technical document to be in line with national requirements and will be used by the internal Flood Management team at Buckinghamshire Council. It will set the direction of work as the Lead Local Flood Authority.

Other internal Buckinghamshire Council partners such as planning, ecology, highways, resilience, and climate change can use the strategy to link in with their own strategies and plans.

External partners such as Environment Agency and water companies and other Local Authorities will use the strategy to alongside their own strategies to inform partnership working.

Local members, community boards and town and parish councils and the wider public can use the strategy to find out more about local flood risk, who is responsible for what and what measures the LLFA take to develop flood resilience for places and people.

The strategy is hosted on the Councils website and accessible to all.

An action plan has been developed alongside the strategy to take forward the objectives and local priorities and these actions will be monitored on a six-monthly basis. Progress will be reported to the cabinet member and to the Strategic Flood Management Group made up of Cabinet member, local members, internal and external partners. The action plan will then be updated annually.

The strategy will be updated in 2029, on a six-year cycle, to ensure that objectives, actions, and policies are appropriate and remain compatible and achievable.