Work will begin to seek solutions to flooding affecting people's homes thanks to successful funding bids worth more than £95,000 by Lancashire County Council.



The council's cabinet this week (Thursday 10 May) received a report outlining new studies into the cause of floods in Chorley, Lancaster, West Lancashire and Fylde following successful grant applications to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The county council is responsible for coordinating activities by public bodies and utility companies responsible for managing water to understand the causes of previous floods, and explore options to mitigate problems in future.

County Councillor Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "Our flood risk management team is working closely with communities throughout Lancashire to investigate the causes of flooding, and look at the options to reduce the impact of future events.

"The underlying reasons why a particular local area is affected by flooding are often complex, and due to the way various drainage systems and watercourses interact.

"In order to access funding for the detailed investigations needed to understand exactly why and how flooding occurs in these locations we have to demonstrate the potential benefit to households of reducing the impact upon them in future.

"These areas have a long history of being affected by flooding, and I'm glad these bids have been successful, so that we can now carry out this work as part of our annual drainage programme."

The investigations will look into the flood risk presented by surface water, and will focus on locations near the River Lune in Lancaster, particularly Halton and Galgate, the villages of Brinscall in Chorley, and Staining in Fylde. In Burscough, West Lancashire, the study will contribute towards a surface water management plan, investigating locations in and around the village with a particular focus on how this might impact on United Utilities assets and operations.

County Councillor Atkinson added: "We'll expect the results of these studies later this financial year. Our Flood Risk Management team will then work through the recommendations and develop programmes for further discussion with local councillors, flood action groups which represent their local communities, and other key parties.

"We're working with communities across the county to find ways to mitigate the risk of them being affected by floods, and are at different stages of progress depending on the complexity of the issues affecting each area.

"In some places we've already identified work to be carried out by landowners, the county council or other agencies, however these four locations are the first areas where further work is needed to understand the causes, and we've reached the stage of developing the evidence for funding a study.

"We know all too well how devastating the impacts of flooding to people's homes can be and are working hard to develop mitigation measures for all areas where properties have been affected."
For further information please contact: Mike Warren on 01772 533537