Lead Local Flood Authority - Print version

After the floods of 2007 the government commissioned a review, which recommended that local authorities should lead on the management of local flood risk, with the support of the relevant organisations. This is known as The Pitt Review, 2008. This led to the Flood and Water Management Act, 2010.

As a result of this Act, Coventry City Council is now a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and has new powers and duties for managing flooding from local sources, namely Ordinary Watercourses, surface water (overland runoff) and groundwater in Coventry.

Partnership working between the City Council and other relevant organisations and local communities is key to managing flood risk in the future, funding future flood schemes and helping communities to become more resilient to flooding.

What we have done so far

We completed a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment [/info/10028/floods/1413/preliminary_flood_risk_assessment] for the City in 2011, which was reviewed again in 2017. This is a high level flood risk assessment of local sources, primarily Ordinary Watercourses, surface water (overland runoff) and groundwater, across the City. We now exercise our new responsibilities under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) and are also involved in a number of flood alleviation schemes.

As part of the evidence gathered to inform the New Core Strategy a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/680/evidence_base_-_strategic_flood_risk_assessment_2015] has been carried out.

In 2014 the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/water-management-flooding/local-flood-risk-management-strategy] was completed, and it was most recently reviewed in 2022.The strategy aims to produce a plan to reduce and manage local flood,  while also benefitting the people, property and the environment of Coventry. The Council developed the strategy in collaboration with local partners, to help residents, neighbourhoods and business communities to better understand how the Council manages flooding issues throughout the city.

The Surface Water Management Plan [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/water-management-flooding/surface-water-management-plan] was produced in 2015, and was reviewed again in 2023. It sets out the long-term plan for reducing the risk of surface water flooding and helps key local partners to understand the causes of it, to help them agree on the most cost-effective way of managing the risks. There are two aims of the Surface Water Management Plan, with the first being to gain a greater understanding of flood risk from surface water and other sources in Coventry so the Council can meet their duty as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). The second aim is to gain an understanding of the impact of current and future developments on flood risk and drainage provisions, to be able to agree on planning mitigation measures. 

What we are currently doing

As part of the Surface Water Management Plan we have a rolling programme of reviewing and cleansing all highway gullies across the city. This will help to improve surface water runoff and avoid localised flooding in the future.  So far we have cleaned every gully within Coventry - approximately 44, 500 gullies. Our programme includes all high risk areas. 

As part of the maintenance of our highways system, we are also undertaking surveys using CCTV cameras to identify potential flooding problems. CCTV Surveys are underground pipe surveys that allow us to locate problems that cannot be seen from above ground. The surveys are carried out using either a motorised or push-along camera through a length of pipe or drain and are recorded onto DVD for our records. 

It is a cost effective method of checking the integrity of the pipe and locating blockages and other drainage problems such as fractured pipes, collapsed drains or tree roots. 

Coventry City Council has a specialist CCTV Contractor who carries out underground surveys at known problem areas which helps us to update our existing sewer records. 

Wider scale flooding issues have required Coventry City Council to seek national funding for flood alleviation schemes. Measures delivered to date include natural flood management and property flood resilience. In view of the regional scale flooding in January 2024, we are seeking funding for city-scale measures.