Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA)
What is a lead local flood authority (LLFA)?
Southampton City Council is, as designated under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). This means that we have the responsibility to work closely with key flood management authorities in order to manage local flood risk through a number of duties, responsibilities, and powers.
Local flood risk includes flooding from surface water, groundwater, and ordinary watercourses. Responsibility for the management of flood risk from the sea, main rivers, and reservoirs remains the responsibility of the Environment Agency.
The duties and responsibilities of a LLFA
The duties and responsibilities of a LLFA are to:
- Develop, maintain, apply, and monitor a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy
- Establish and maintain a register of structures or features which are likely to have a significant effect on flood risk
- Approve, adopt, and maintain sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) that meet the national standards for development
- Work closely with other organisations to manage local flood risk and ensure the delivery of effective joined up management of flood risk
- Complete a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment to fulfil the EU Floods Directive
- Investigate incidents of flooding (where appropriate) and publish the findings in a report
LLFA powers
As a lead local flood authority, we have the power to:
- Issue consents for altering, removing, or replacing certain structures or features on an ordinary watercourse. For more information, see ordinary watercourse consent
- Designate any feature or structure which may have a significant impact on flood risk
- Serve notice on riparian landowners who need to carry out maintenance to their watercourse to reduce flood risk
- Commission works to manage flood risk and, where necessary, recover costs from the responsible land owner
Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act describes how a LLFA should respond to a flood event, where deemed necessary. Our response process is outlined in detail below.
Flood investigations
Flood Risk Management have developed a Flood Investigation Protocol which outlines when a flood investigation may be carried out. The protocol describes:
- The purpose of a flood investigation
- Section 19 flood investigations, including thresholds for when an investigation may be carried out
- Desk-based flood investigations, including thresholds for when an investigation may be carried out
- The priority of investigations in the event of a significant rainfall event
- Role of the responding flood risk officer
- The process followed when a flood investigation is started
- Investigation reports, including when these will be published
- Data protection, outlining the process followed for flood investigations and information supplied to support them
If there is any information that is not covered in the Flood Investigation Protocol please contact us at flooding@southampton.gov.uk.
Section 19 flood investigations
As outlined in the Flood Investigation Protocol, section 19 investigation reports will be published online. The record of section 19 flood investigations can be found below.
| Document | Type | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Section 19 Flood Investigation Report Daisy Dip (2011) | 810.5 KB | |
| Section 19 Flood Investigation Report Daisy Dip (2012) | 539.6 KB |
The record does not include investigations that are currently being undertaken. The record will be updated with published reports once investigations are completed.
