Flood Risk Management – Solihull

As Cabinet member I asked the councils Stronger Communities and Neighbourhood Services Scrutiny Board to review how the council deals with floods and flooding issues.

The issue came before them last week. I have posted the link to the report presented to the board here:  Flood Risk Management Scrutiny Report – FINAL.pdf (solihull.gov.uk)

I have also shared two videos of questions asked by ward councillor, Keith Green, who is a member if the board, together with answers given by a senior officer.

You can access the full webcast of the meeting via this link (Keith asks his questions about Blythe ward at 9 mins in): Agenda for Stronger Communities and Neighbourhood Services Scrutiny Board on Wednesday 24th July 2024, 6.00 pm | Solihull City and District Council

Myself and Keith also commented on our local issues int eh video posted here:

This report provides a review of the Council’s plans for dealing with flooding incidents in Solihull. It provides details of past major flooding events, explains how future flood events will be managed and how the Borough prepares for flooding through the work programmes of the flood risk and drainage and tanker teams within the Highways Infrastructure Service.

The report also provides an overview of the gully emptying service and outlines options for introducing evidence led, risk-based approach to prioritise the tanker teamwork programme.

In brief, the report recommended the council develop a risk-based approach to gully emptying. By prioritising gullies in areas at risk of flooding or gullies that are known to fill more quickly as shown by the evidence collected through the Gully Smart system, the service would significantly improve the efficiency of the gully emptying program.

This would mean that some assets would be visited and cleansed more regularly (biannually/quarterly/monthly) and others, in areas of low risk, would only be visited where there is a need to do so, or within 36 months of the last emptying.

Ward Councillors support this recommendation, which will need to be confirmed at the decisions session of the Ken’s Environment and Infrastructure Cabinet decision session in a few weeks’ time. Keith said ‘It makes a lot sense. The drains in some areas do not need clearing as much as drains in other parts of the ward that are prone to flooding. This seems a sensible policy but it is important it is constantly reviewed. We know that flash floods and storms can appears all year round and have epicentres anywhere, as we have seen in the borough’.

This post also includes photos and videos taken by Ken at locations in Blythe ward were flooding took place this winter.