Defra announces £300,000 fund for surface water management pilots

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Environment, Local Government

Environment Minister Phil Woolas today announced £300,000 for pilot schemes which will develop new guidance on surface water management plans to cope with anticipated extreme rainfall in the future.

Defra is now seeking expressions of interest from pilot organisations which will need to demonstrate a specific and significant surface water flooding issue and provide evidence that they can test a good proportion of the guidance this financial year.

Phil Woolas said: "The Pitt Review highlighted the risks of surface water flooding and recommended action to improve the way surface water is managed.

"These pilots will help move forward local flood risk management in some key areas through the development of their own surface water management plans.

"We take this issue very seriously and want to make sure the guidance for these plans has been researched, tested and demonstrated."

The Environment Agency estimated that two-thirds of the 57,000 homes affected in the 2007 floods were flooded from surface water runoff. Defra recently consulted on policy measures to improve the way surface water run-off is managed.

Organisations or partnerships with the capacity to deliver a pilot are invited to submit a proposal to Defra by 24 October 2008.
Proposals will be assessed against published criteria and a number of pilots will then be selected for funding. For more information please go to:
www.defra.gsi.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/surfacewaterdrainage.htm