Floods can occur for a number of reasons and different organisations are responsible for flooding in different situations.
The county council will continue to maintain highway drains (those that are intended only for highway water).
The landowner is responsible for ditches and watercourses and also piped watercourses and culverts, the water company is responsible for public surface water sewers and foul sewers, and the Environment Agency is responsible for critical watercourses and main rivers and also emergency response.
The Land Registry can help identify landowners or you can make a Highway Record Enquiry.
What is the task that local councils could carry out?
- reinstalling grips into grass verges, to assist with drainage
- clearing gully tops
- clearing drainage grills
- maintaining existing shallow drainage ditches
How could local council go about it?
Although this can be carried out by the community or a contractor, if you’re thinking of tackling these issues we suggest getting some advice from us about:
- avoiding exposing/creating additional defects
- the safe disposal of any materials
How to manage drainage on the highway
What are some of the things local councils should consider when considering or carrying out this task?
Advice when managing drainage:
- Confirm ownership – The Land Registry can help identify landowners or you can make a Highway Record Enquiry
- Consider necessary disposal of materials
- Be aware of the hazards of working in the vicinity of water
- Consider the impact downstream of any changes to water flows
What are the first steps?
- Read the drainage method statement
- Carry out a risk assessment – Example Risk Assessment for Activities Within the Highway
Who should I contact to get the ball rolling?
Contact your Community Highways Liaison Officer in the first instance .