In accordance with the Flood and Water Management Act, significant flood events must be investigated – known as Section 19 investigations.

Herefordshire Council are required to investigate local sources of flooding (i.e. ordinary watercourses, surface water and groundwater) but as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) the Council are responsible for coordinating flood management activities with other relevant bodies – namely the Environment Agency (EA), Welsh Water (DCWW) and Severn Trent Water (STW).

An initial review has identified 30 settlements requiring investigation by HC following the October 2019 and February 2020 flood events. These locations have been assessed as being within the established criteria and include residential properties, businesses, critical services, strategic highways and railways. This number of studies is in excess of the number of investigations on which the allocation in the annual plan annex 7 was based and therefore further funding is required as set out above.

A further 26 settlements flooded from main river sources will be reviewed separately by the EA.

Given the large number of flooding incidents that occurred in February 2020 and October 2019 this decision will allow a desk-based gap analysis study using readily available data to be undertaken. This will identify the likely causes and consequences of flooding and demonstrate where further investigation is required to complete the section 19 investigations. If so this will be the subject of a further decision