At a recent meeting of the Environment Health and Housing Committee, councillors agreed a member working group be established to review flood risk and surface water management across the Borough.
Concerns have been growing over the years with incidents of flooding increasing significantly across Fylde affecting both property and land.
Significant flooding events were experienced at Park View Playing fields on 28th September 2019, and various locations across the Fylde Coast including Freckleton, Clifton, Newton, Kirkham, Elswick, Staining, Cropper Road, Moss side and Greenhalgh on the 10/11 August 2020 which flooded property, businesses, roads and other lands.
Most of the borough is currently serviced by a combined surface water/foul drainage system which is under pressure at times of high rainfall. The majority of the system is historic and is managed and owned by United Utilities.
The Fylde Borough is low lying, and drainage in Fylde is impacted by tidal influence which inhibits surface water flow reaching both the Ribble & Wyre rivers and ultimately out to sea.
In order to tackle the increasing flood concerns, the committee agreed to establish a working group made up of both Council representatives as well as members from outside the committee to ensure that a wider representation and points of view are considered.
The working group will liaise with Risk Management Authorities, Flood Action Groups, householders, farmers and landowners together with senior officers from Fylde’s Planning and Technical Services teams.
It is envisaged the working group will develop a comprehensive set of recommendations and proposals to improve the way surface water management in Fylde is undertaken to reduce flooding in the future and to ensure that arrangements for dealing/responding to emergency flood incidents in Fylde are robust and effective to provide reassurance to members, residents and landowners. These recommendations will be presented back to the committee during 2021.
Chair of the Environment, Health and Housing Committee Cllr Tommy Threlfall said: “It has become of great concern to me and the rest of the borough the flooding that we continue to experience in Fylde. We will ensure that the responsible authorities for managing the risk of flooding and surface water here ascertain their duties and that these are carried out correctly. The working group will lead on this piece of work and I look forward to moving forward with a plan for better management in the borough.”
