Agenda Reports Pack (Public) 15/10/2012, 19.00 - Meetings ...

3.27. When the Task Group enquired about how Northamptonshire County Council hadsought to engage with local residents the Task Group heard how Ms. Bateman hadorganised a ‘Flood Fair,’ held over three days and attended by over 240 people, inpartnership with a wide range of other stakeholders including local communitygroups, water companies and the Environment Agency. This three day event hadproved successful in collecting information on historical flooding incidents, increasingawareness of flooding risk and clarifying responsibilities.3.28. The Task Group were impressed with the success of this event and hoped it couldbe replicated in the LBHF. In particular the Task Group felt it could help educateattendees as to the new responsibilities for the Council. For example as a LeadLocal Flood Authority the Council has a duty to “determine whether, in its opinion,there is a significant flood risk in its area and identify the part of the area affected bythe risk. 11 ” In the view of the Task Group a significant flood risk is any area in theborough which would be disproportionally affected by a 1 in 30 flooding event.3.29. The Task Group feels it would be useful to consult with local community groups,residents and other interested parties through the forum of a ‘Flood Fair’ to seewhether they agree which such a stance. In addition, if a Flood Fair can be arrangedafter the public register of Flood Risk Management Assets has been completed, itwould offer attendees an opportunity to take note of those assets which had beenidentified and suggest additional assets. Attendees could also be made aware thatthe Council now has a responsibility to investigate significant flooding events,perhaps making them more willing to engage with the Council and report floodingevents. The Task Group felt it was important to re-assure people, in a bid toencourage them to share information they have on flooding in the borough, that anyinformation provided was for high level strategic planning and their individual datawill not be shared.Recommendation Seventeen: A Flood FairIt is recommended that the Council hold a Flood Fair. The aim of the Flood Fairshould be to collect historical information on flooding incidents, increase awarenessof flooding risks and clarify responsibilities between the responsible flooding parties.Other stakeholders, such as Thames Water, the Environment Agency, theDepartment for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and companies thatprovide sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) and other flooding preventionsystems should be invited along. All residents that the Council is aware havesuffered from flooding in the past should be invited as well as community groups.Ideally the event would be held over a number of days in different parts of theborough.Working Together3.30. As has been stressed earlier in this report, due to the current limitations in surfacewater and groundwater mapping, the Council, in order to identify high risk floodareas, is reliant upon people living and working in the borough reporting floodingevents as they occur. As has already been discussed many people are unwilling toprovide this information to the Council or other responsible parties. Additionally themajority of residents in the borough are either unaware of the flooding risk in the11 The Flood Risk Regulations 2009.- 33 -Page 192