Agenda item

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillors Caroline Jackson and Tim Hamilton-Cox.

“This council notes the response to recent flooding by city council officers was timely and effective. Issues arising from flooding in 2015 and earlier this year have been successfully used to create improved strategies to ensure the welfare and safety of residents.  Communication and co-operation between services, agencies and voluntary and community groups was excellent. We wish to congratulate officers on this achievement.

This council also notes that the flooding in Galgate, Hala and Halton was partially caused by surface water run-off during heavy rainfall.

This council notes that this also applies to smaller areas of repeated flooding such as Caton Road, Lower Church Street, Long Marsh Lane, Willow Lane and Brook Street and these floods are causing stress, economic hardship and lost business.

There is evidence that flooding events linked to run off were exacerbated by blocked gullies many of which had been repeatedly notified to the county council over a long period.

We note also that the effective response to flooding has taken and will take many hours of officer time which means the other necessary work done to serve residents has been and will be delayed.

This council believes:

We now live in a city and district repeatedly subject to what is termed “unprecedented rainfall”. By definition more intense rainfall is now precedented and equally intense effort needs to be directed to mitigating the impact. We cannot accept the delays in gully clearing that have been noted by many elected members in this chamber and indeed elected members who sit at county level.

We have a duty to respond to hardship among district residents in an effective way.

This council resolves to:

1.          Hire a gully clearing vehicle for the 6 months January – June 2018 or sooner if possible and deploy it with appropriate staff members;

a)      to clear all gullies already known to officers to create or add to known flood hazards.

b)      to clear all gullies reported by members, businesses and residents known to create or add to known flood hazards.

 c)      to undertake a check of all gullies in sensitive areas of the district.

2.          That the cost of this be taken in the first instance from the city council's general fund balance.

3.          That steps be taken to recover costs as far as possible.

4.          That urgent steps be taken by Cabinet and Lancaster City officers at the most senior level to recover the contract for gully cleaning from Lancashire County Council for financial year 2018-9 onwards.

5.          That residents, councillors and officers work together to identify areas where street engineering is causing surface water run off to increase flood risk and by March 2018 prepare a report for County Highways on works needed.

6.          That all interested parties Lancaster City council, United Utilities, Lancashire Lead Flood Authority and the Environment Agency are convened to consider urgently the problem of combined surface and foul water drains in flood prone areas  and bring forward a plan to eliminate them as a risk to public health.”

An officer briefing note is attached.

The following motion, of which notice had been given to the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15, was moved by Councillors Caroline Jackson and seconded by Tim Hamilton-Cox.

“This council notes the response to recent flooding by city council officers was timely and effective. Issues arising from flooding in 2015 and earlier this year have been successfully used to create improved strategies to ensure the welfare and safety of residents.  Communication and co-operation between services, agencies and voluntary and community groups was excellent. We wish to congratulate officers on this achievement.

This council also notes that the flooding in Galgate, Hala and Halton was partially caused by surface water run-off during heavy rainfall.

This council notes that this also applies to smaller areas of repeated flooding such as Caton Road, Lower Church Street, Long Marsh Lane, Willow Lane and Brook Street and these floods are causing stress, economic hardship and lost business.

There is evidence that flooding events linked to run off were exacerbated by blocked gullies many of which had been repeatedly notified to the county council over a long period.

We note also that the effective response to flooding has taken and will take many hours of officer time which means the other necessary work done to serve residents has been and will be delayed.

This council believes:

We now live in a city and district repeatedly subject to what is termed “unprecedented rainfall”. By definition more intense rainfall is now precedented and equally intense effort needs to be directed to mitigating the impact. We cannot accept the delays in gully clearing that have been noted by many elected members in this chamber and indeed elected members who sit at county level.

We have a duty to respond to hardship among district residents in an effective way.

This council resolves to:

1)           Hire a gully clearing vehicle for the 6 months January – June 2018 or sooner if possible and deploy it with appropriate staff members;

a)     to clear all gullies already known to officers to create or add to known flood hazards.

b)     to clear all gullies reported by members, businesses and residents known to create or add to known flood hazards.

c)     to undertake a check of all gullies in sensitive areas of the district.

2)           That the cost of this be taken in the first instance from the city council's general fund balance.

3)           That steps be taken to recover costs as far as possible.

4)           That urgent steps be taken by Cabinet and Lancaster City officers at the most senior level to recover the contract for gully cleaning from Lancashire County Council for financial year 2018-9 onwards.

5)           That residents, councillors and officers work together to identify areas where street engineering is causing surface water run off to increase flood risk and by March 2018 prepare a report for County Highways on works needed.

6)           That all interested parties Lancaster City council, United Utilities, Lancashire Lead Flood Authority and the Environment Agency are convened to consider urgently the problem of combined surface and foul water drains in flood prone areas  and bring forward a plan to eliminate them as a risk to public health.”

An officer briefing note was attached to the agenda, with officer recommendations.

The Mayor spoke about the floods in Nether Kellet and asked that Nether Kellet be included in the second paragraph of the motion, which was accepted as a friendly amendment by Councillor Caroline Jackson, as was a request from Councillor Edward to include Low Lane/Mattock Crescent in Torrisholme.

Councillor Hughes spoke, as relevant portfolio holder, to refer to the officer briefing note and recommendations which explained that a debriefing for all organisations involved (City Council, County Council, Environment Agency, Police, Fire Service, voluntary organisations), was scheduled for January 2018. He then proposed an amendment to the motion, seconded by Councillor Thynne:

“(1)      That the recommendations of the debrief, once available, be considered.

(2)        That the Cabinet Member and Chief Officer meet with the County Council to request a collaborative approach to gully emptying and channel sweeping.

(3)        That officers be entrusted to apply for Regional Flood Coastal Fund funding to help flood victims.

(4)        That, for a limited time, a dedicated point of contact for Councillors and the public be set up to contact officers to enable people to identify and report areas where street engineering is causing surface water ‘run off’ to pass this information to the County Council.”

The amendment was debated before a vote was taken and the amendment was clearly carried.

The amendment, which had now become the substantive motion, was subject to a second vote and was, again, clearly carried.

Resolved:-

(1)     That the recommendations of the debrief, once available, be considered.

(2)     That the Cabinet Member and Chief Officer meet with the County Council to request a collaborative approach to gully emptying and channel sweeping.

(3)     That officers be entrusted to apply for Regional Flood Coastal Fund funding to help flood victims.

(4)     That, for a limited time, a dedicated point of contact for Councillors and the public be set up to contact officers to enable people to identify and report areas where street engineering is causing surface water ‘run off’ to pass this information to the County Council.