Cover-all agency needed to plug flooding gap
11 February 2010
There should be one organisation to help end the confusion and misery caused by flooding in Wales, according to a new report from the National Assembly for Wales’s Sustainability Committee.
The inquiry found that, too often, both the public and local and national authorities were unsure of where the responsibility lay for handling different types of flood.
The Committee held public meetings across Wales to get personal accounts of the effects of flooding on homes and communities. Some of the evidence showed homes ruined by sewage overflow and people unable to get home insurance because their area was deemed too high-risk.
The committee found that flooding can have a devastating effect on people’s homes, livelihoods and communities, which can last for years after the waters have subsided.
It met members of the public who were still unable to talk about their experiences two or three years since they were flooded because of their distressing experiences.
The Committee found that all these people wanted was clear information, guidance and support before, during and following a flood.
The report urges the Welsh Government to establish a dedicated body to help end this confusion.
Evidence submitted by the National Flood Forum also suggested a lack of faith in the Environment Agency. It had received complaints from people claiming they had received little guidance from agency staff and no feedback where problems and issues were reported. Environment Agency flood maps were also criticised for either being inaccurate or out of date.
Other recommendations of the committee include:
The Committee believes more cooperation with people living in flood areas could be vital in establishing more accurate means of predicting floods and preventing them in future.
There is a need for far clearer communications between the public, local authorities, agencies and governing bodies.
The Committee recommends that the Welsh government identifies and funds an agency/organisation to become a single point of contact or ‘one stop shop’ for all enquiries regarding flooding incidences and flood advice.
The Committee recommends that the Minister places a requirement on the Environment Agency to engage the community when developing new flood maps and produce evidence on how this information is utilised
The Committee recommends that the Environment Agency updates their communication strategy, following a period of public consultation, to set out clearly the role of the Agency, public and other interested organisations in public engagement.
The Committee recommends that the Welsh Government, working with colleagues in the Environment Agency, and Local Authorities provides the necessary resources to establish a Welsh Flood Forum, along the lines of the Scottish model.
The Committee recommends that the Welsh Government works with first responders and the National Flood Forum to identify a number of options for responding to flooding incidents
National Assembly for Wales’s Sustainability Committee