Oxfordshire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

Following the significant floods in 2007, the Government gave local authorities new powers to help manage local flood risk in a more coordinated way.

The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 requires county councils to lead the coordination of flood risk management for surface water, groundwater and smaller watercourses in their area. Main river flooding remains the responsibility of the Environment Agency.

Oxfordshire County Council must now produce a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, which will give a clear vision for how flood risk will be dealt with in Oxfordshire.

What the strategy will include

The strategy will reflect that it is not possible to stop all flooding however, it will include the following:

• Information on local flood risk in Oxfordshire, highlighting where problems have already occurred, or where areas fall in risk categories

• Clarification of which authority is responsible for what in relation to the prevention and management of flooding

• Detail on the measures that will be undertaken to manage flood risk

• Clarification on how work is prioritised.
• Measures that communities can undertake to improve flood resilience, as it is not possible to stop all flooding