 Sustainable Drainage features in action during a Devon Flood and Water Management Group site visit to Central Park in Plymouth
As this is a new format for our newsletter, here is a reminder of our vision as part of Devon’s Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, which sets out our statutory duties as Lead Local Flood Authority:
Our vision is to be a leading authority in the management and reduction of flood risk in the County of Devon. We will work efficiently and collaboratively with our partners and engage with communities to make Devon more resilient to flooding and ready to adapt to climate change by promoting sustainable flood risk management and using natural solutions where possible.
Our team has recently grown, and we have been working closely with the Exe Estuary Partnership and Devon Maritime Forum. We are excited to welcome our new 'Marine, Estuaries and Coastal Officer' in the New Year.
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Although 2024 has been a relatively quiet year in terms of properties flooded, we have been investigating the latest flood incident to exceed the threshold required to produce a flood investigation report under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. In May 2024, 16 properties were flooded in Devon, including Yealmpton, Tavistock and Wilmington. The finished report will be published on our website.
Debris following the flooding in Yealmpton on Monday 20 May 2024, two days after the flooding on Saturday 18 May.
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Just 18 months since the village of Venn Ottery suffered multiple property flooding, our Flood Risk Projects Team has successfully seen through the design and installation of a new flood scheme. Works were completed in October by a local contractor to re-direct surface water runoff and increase the capacity of a highway culvert. A real success for the team, to have completed a scheme of this size within such a short timescale and on budget, resulting in a significant reduction in flood risk for this community.
Read the article in full on our Flood Risk Management website here.
Finished works at Venn Ottery, awaiting establishment of vegetation
Community flood resilience
Representatives from our team were pleased to attend the latest Devon Community Resilience Forum event in Crediton this September, hosted by Devon Communities Together. This was a great opportunity to talk with local community representatives, give advice and signpost to funding and resources to help increase their resilience through emergency planning and preparedness. Find out more on the presentations given and topics discussed on the Devon Communities Together website. |
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Our DRIP team has been busy working on being part of ‘The Ripple Effect’ campaign in collaboration with CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), highlighting the importance of water and environmental professionals in the future of climate resilience and environmental sustainability. Find out more about DRIP. |
Property Flood Resilience measures, such as flood doors or barriers, may help to reduce your risk of future flooding. Find out if you qualify for funding.
We hope that the upcoming winter season will be as dry as possible, but inevitably we are likely to face the impacts of increased intense or prolonged rainfall events.
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind drivers to take care and to never drive through flood water, as you never know how deep it is. Even relatively shallow water can move your car or wreck its engine.
Reporting flooding
It is important that you continue to report each incident of flooding and flood risk issues because it allows data to be collated to keep track of the overall picture of flooding in an area. Reporting helps authorities to identify recurring issues and it can influence maintenance schedules. It can also inform business cases for alleviation works and flood defence schemes, and capture the economic cost of a flood to help attract funding.
Internal flooding to properties should be reported to via FORT, the Flood Online Reporting Tool on our website.
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