Issue - meetings

To consider a report which provides a response to the report of the former Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Working Group – “It’s Not Just Water”.

The Committee considered a report which provided a response to the report of the former Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny (EROSC) Committee’s Working Group – “It’s Not Just Water”.

Councillor Tony Dean attended Committee on behalf of the Flooding Working Group which produced the report and recommendations “It’s Not Just Water”.

The Committee thanked the Working Group for their time and effort on this important matter.

An amendment was proposed and seconded and subsequently carried which sought agreement to include the Working Group’s recommendation (4) “MPs should be lobbied to bring about change to national flood funding” to the officer report recommendations.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Committee:

1.    Approves Officer Recommendation Responses 1 and 2 contained in section 5 of this report in order that they can be implemented operationally, the officer recommendations are:

·         Officer Recommendation 1 Response – Governance and Democracy

That the oversight of the LLFA statutory function is retained with the Highways and Transport Committee in line with the current Constitution.

·         Officer Recommendation 2 Response – Delivery of the LLFA Function

To retain the current outsourced arrangement for the Flood Risk Management / LLFA delivery function.

Create a standalone LLFA delivery team initially from existing staff resource within the Cheshire East Highways (Ringway Jacobs) organisational structure which for all operational and decision-making matters relating to flood risk management reports directly to the Council’s Head of Highways. 

Implement a succinct set of key performance indicators (KPIs) specifically for the delivery of the LLFA function picking up on the key aspects of the Working Groups concerns.

Flood Risk Management / LLFA specific Key Performance Indicators to be reported to the Highways and Transport Committee as part of the bi-annual reports on the performance of the Highways and Infrastructure division.

2.    Approves officer responses 3, 4 and 5 to not implement the Working Group Recommendations 3, and 5 detailed in section 5 of this report at the current time given the costs are not within the current Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).

3.    Agrees to implement the Working Group Recommendation 4 - to lobby MPs to bring about change to national flood funding.