Agenda item

At its meeting on 31 January 2018 the Executive Committee considered the Flood and Water Management Supplementary Planning Document and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

1.      That the Flood and Water Management Supplementary Planning Document, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be ADOPTED.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Head of Development Services to make any necessary minor amendments to the Supplementary Planning Document, as considered appropriate, prior to it being published.

82.13         At its meeting on 31 January 2018, the Executive Committee considered the Flood and Water Management Supplementary Planning Document following consultation. The Executive Committee had recommended to Council that it be adopted.

82.14         The report which was considered by the Executive Committee had been circulated with the Agenda for the current meeting at Pages No. 59-136.

82.15         The recommendation from the Executive Committee was proposed by the Chair of the Committee and seconded by the Lead Member for Finance and Asset Management.

82.16         During the discussion which ensued, a number of Members thanked Officers for the work that had gone into the document. They felt it was long awaited and that, if adopted, it would be extremely helpful going forward. Whilst he was of the view that it was a good document, a Member questioned whether surface water drainage could be considered and monitored carefully throughout the construction phase as well as prior to the commencement of a scheme. In response, the Lead Member, and Chair of the Flood Risk Management Group, indicated that she felt this would be a sensible addition. In offering clarification, the Borough Solicitor advised that this could be included in addition to the document as an aspiration/reminder but it could not be an additional requirement within the document unless it was sent back out for consultation. Members generally agreed that the document should be adopted as soon as possible and therefore flagging the issue up as an aspiration was the correct way forward. One Member expressed the view that it was a fantastic document and he would like to see the other five Districts in Gloucestershire adopting something similar. He indicated that a lot of the background work had been undertaken by people who had been flooded previously and he suggested that all Members read the document in detail as it provided good guidance on development in and around the flood plain.

82.17         A Member queried what happened after a development had been passed to a management company and whether the Council had any powers to monitor or enforce once the transfer had taken place. In response, the Deputy Chief Executive referred to Page No. 115, Paragraph 6.15.1, and explained that the Supplementary Planning Document would be part of the planning process; the powers in relation to planning and environmental health provided a suite of measures that could be taken into account when management issues regarding Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) arose. In response to a query regarding road surface levels, the Deputy Chief Executive indicated that it would be possible to flag up as an aspiration that, when integrating the street network with SUDS, the level of the road in connection with the housing should be taken into account.

82.18         Accordingly, it was

                  RESOLVED          1. That the Flood and Water Management Supplementary                                            Planning Document, as attached at Appendix 1 to the                                              report, be ADOPTED.

                                                2.  That authority be delegated to the Head of Development                                         Services to make any necessary minor amendments to the                                    Supplementary Planning Document, as considered                                                   appropriate, prior to it being published.

3.  That it be flagged up as an aspiration/reminder that surface             water drainage should be considered and monitored                  carefully throughout the construction phase, as well as prior                 to the commencement of a scheme; and that, when                        integrating the street network with SUDS, the level of the         road in connection with the housing should be taken into     account.