ALMOST £3million will be invested in greater flood protection next year as part of Devon County Council’s Flood Risk Management Action Plan.
Devon County Councillors, meeting on Wednesday, March 13, approved plans to target essential flood improvements in high-risk areas across Devon and increase the resilience of several communities.
Other proposed schemes include Natural Flood Management measures and hard engineered flood improvements at Ottery St Mary which are being developed with the East Devon Catchment Partnership, contribution towards the surface water management element of a major Environment Agency scheme in Clyst St Mary, a review and delivery of flood improvement options in Cullompton and, subject to landowner agreement, finalising designs for a phased construction of flood improvements in Stokeinteignhead.
The plan also details funding for investigation, surveys and studies to be carried out to progress designs for potential schemes in future. These include upstream natural flood management in Colaton Raleigh, contribution towards an ongoing study and hydraulic modelling in Kingsbridge and reviews of previous surface water management plans and consideration of flood improvement options in Ilfracombe and Teignmouth.
Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Our prioritised approach to flood risk management and collaborative working with other Risk Management Authorities is successfully reducing flood risk to some of the most vulnerable areas in the county.
“We are committed to implementing measures to reduce flood risk to communities across Devon and we will continue to work to maximise funding to make a real difference to our residents through individual flood improvement schemes and community resilience support.”
During the past year Devon County Council has continued to work with partners such as District Councils, South West Water and the Environment Agency to investigate areas at risk of flooding and deliver critical flood improvement schemes to communities that have suffered significant flooding in recent years.
More than £3 million was invested in flood management measures last year, allowing 150 properties to benefit from a reduced risk of flooding from completed schemes, including those at Modbury, Uplyme, Bideford and Frogmore. A further 200 properties will benefit from schemes currently underway in Exeter, Sidmouth and Ivybridge.
The Council has also been working to make communities more resilient. The Property Level Resilience Grant Scheme has proved popular with 40 properties benefitting for the installation of up to £5,000 worth of flood resilience measures, exceeding the target of 25 properties for the year.
The Devon Community Resilience Forum has also continued to support communities in preparing their emergency plans and providing funding to purchase the relevant equipment to deliver their plans.
For more information and to read the full report to Cabinet and Flood Risk Management Action Plan for 2019/20 visit the Devon County Council website: http://devon.cc/v2ozx .