Purpose

The final report from the Scrutiny Task and
Finish Group.

Content

That
the following 22 recommendations set out in the report from the
Flood Risk Preparation and Response Scrutiny Task and Finish Group
be approved:

 

1.   
Publish Section 19 Flood Investigation
Reports on the Council website, including findings and
recommendations of previous investigations, such as the report on
the Birmingham New Road flood on 21 September 2024. 

 

2.   
The Council to regularly review what
further work can be done to encourage residents living in high-risk
flood areas to participate in surveys linked to S19 Flood
Investigation and encourage feedback to help further improve the
timeliness of response before, during and after a flooding
incident.

 

3.   
Update and
review the
Black Country Authorities Level 1 Strategic Flood
Risk Assessment to ensure accurate
mapping of housing developments in flood-prone areas, factoring in
local intelligence and climate change impacts. Implement a robust
framework for tracking progress on flood risk recommendations,
including a desktop review at six months and a follow-up at 12
months, with clear categories for progress assessment (e.g.,
achieved, on track, slipped, not achieved). Flooding can occur on a
local scale when surface water volumes exceed the capacity of the
sewer system during an extreme rainfall event. The review should
include the identification of key flood pathways and where possible
the properties that could be affected and how best they can be
protected against such flooding - designing for
exceedance.

 

4.   
The Head of Highway Network Management to deliver
timely progress reports on local flood risk hotspot schemes for
2024-2026, including Compton Road, Tettenhall Ridges, and Park
Ward, as well as updates on the 12 Wolverhampton catchment areas
funded by Severn Trent Water for reducing surface water
runoff.

 

5.   
The Director of
Resident Services to work with
Housing Managing
Agents - Bushbury Hill EMB, Dovecotes TMO, New Park Village TMC and
Wolverhampton Homes to further identify
tenants, particularly vulnerable tenants, living in medium and
high-risk flood zones and review upfront communication plan to
remind residents about sources of help and advice and action they
can do in preparation for a severe storm event. The TFG welcome
proposals to possibly extend the use of Wolverhampton Homes My
Account App to issue push notifications to alert residents in
response to a severe weather warning.

 

6.   
The Director of Resident Services to regularly
review the effectiveness of arrangements with key partners for
sharing important update messages with all residents or in specific
areas at risk of localised flooding. There should be a regular
evaluation of the effectiveness of the communication methods used
and recommendations made to assess the reach and improve the impact
where appropriate and provide a process for residents to report
flooding, for example which affects a garden to the property, but
does not enter the property. As a result, it may not be reported to
the local authority or Wolverhampton Homes. Important to consider
how such information can be collated and used to fill gaps in
knowledge about the area and improve the response to
flooding.

 

7.   
The
Director of Resident Services to conduct a review to address discrepancies between
official data and residents' views on properties affected by
flooding. Continue to develop ward-level data, in coordination with
relevant stakeholders, to track changes in properties at risk over
time and identify trends requiring action. Include classifications
of risk levels (e.g., very significant, significant, moderate, and
low risk) for both residential and commercial properties. The data
should be used to guide targeted flood risk mitigation efforts and
identify the condition of assets, flooding incidents and
responsible parties to further enhance preparedness and future
resource allocation.

 

8.   
The Director of Resident Services to lead
the collaboration with colleagues in Staffordshire County Council,
Severn Trent Water and neighbouring authorities to strengthen
response to cross border flooding issues and promote either the
development of a new website or update an existing website as
appropriate. The site should provide personalised flood risk
information, including maps and community-specific pages
with sources of practical advice and
help presented in an accessible
way. The link to this resource should be prominently featured on
the Council’s website and neighbouring authorities to enhance
public awareness about the importance of preparedness. The site
should aim to be a key source for disseminating warnings, coordinating responses, and keeping
residents informed before, during and after a flooding
incident

 

9.   
The Director of Resident Services to give
consideration about the measurement of flood risk and what
constitutes success - for example, changes in the net number of
properties at risk or should it be better protected. Also important
not to give false assurance to residents about the preventative
measures being planned – the terms ‘flood
resilience’ and ‘flood protection’ need to be
clearly defined in documents and agreed among key partners and
shared with public in a consistent way.

 

10. The Director of Resident
Services to outline plans to improve partnership working
arrangements when different
agencies are involved and responsibility is shared to work together
to resolve the causes of complex flooding issues, for example,
fallen trees blocking the flow of watercourse resulting in flooding
elsewhere. Important to consider that changes
to flood protection measures or resilience work made in one area to
protect properties may cause flooding elsewhere. 

 

11. The
Head of Highway Network Management to present a review of the performance of the Map16
Asset Management Gully Sensor program to Scrutiny Board against
established criteria and evaluate the feasibility of extending the
trial citywide or to outline alternatives if the trial is not to be
extended. Request an annual update from Severn Trent Water on
progress of plans previously announced to increase the number of
400 smart sewer monitoring units currently installed in
Wolverhampton and plans to install 40,000 units over the next five
years.

 

12. The Director of Resident Services to update as appropriate on plans to enhance local flood warning
systems, leveraging Environment Agency data to target alerts for
specific river catchments and overlaying this with vulnerable
community datasets for precise notifications. The Director of
Resident Services to review and integrate flood mitigation elements
into all highway improvement projects, ensuring proper management
and monitoring of surface water impacts on risk of flooding or
water quality to nearby streams. The Council to continue to
proactively explore and evaluate a range of innovative flood
mitigation technologies, such as sustainable drainage systems
(SuDS), permeable pavements, and natural flood management
techniques, in recognition of the need to be resilient and
responsive to future climate changes.

 

13. The Director of Resident Services
to request an annual update from Severn Trent
Water on key discussions with OFWAT about reducing sewage flooding
risk, and progress of implementing
Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act
2010, and improving cross-boundary
surface water management with local authorities.

 

14. The
Highways Operation Manager to collaborate with the Head of Planning
to consult on planning policy to review effectiveness of the
current guidance for integrating Sustainable Drainage Systems
(SUDS) into planned housing developments and potential funding
opportunities.

 

15. The
Director of Resident Services to undertake a future proofing review
of the current SLA and contractual agreement with Staffordshire
County Council who deliver services on behalf of Wolverhampton
Council in preparation for the end of the current
agreement.

 

16. The
Council to continue raising awareness among residents and partners
about flood risk, and possible sources of financial support, for
example, applying to the
Household Support Grant and consider alternatives methods of engaging with people living
in medium or high-risk flood areas.
Publicise national flood resilience grants using diverse platforms,
including social media and radio and promote
government’s
‘Build Back Better’ (BBB) program on the Council’s website and
encourage residents to consider BBB aligned insurance options
during renewals. The aim should be where possible to support and
empower residents to be financially resilient and to take proactive
steps to reduce risk of property flooding, for example, removing
leaves from blocked gutters close to their homes.

 

17. The
Director of Resident Services to consider the possibility of
facilitating community workshops, to provide resources for local
flood preparedness, and encourage community-led initiatives to
foster a shared sense of responsibility. The Council to work
directly with residents in high-risk flood areas or who have been
repeatedly flooded to better understand their needs and provide
tailored support. The information should be shared with partner
agencies to support improved responses.

 

18. Head of Service Health & Safety and Emergency Planning and
Business Continuity Manager to share lessons learned from desktop
and live severe weather exercises as appropriate with Councillors
as part of a weekly Councillor briefing update with a focus on
Councillors in those wards with a high risk of severe flooding.
Distribute the
Preparing the West Midlands for Emergencies -
Community Risk Register to all
Councillors and encourage them to promote the information on their
respective social media pages or community leaflets and included as
part of the Councillor Induction training.

 

19. The
Director of Resident Services to lead discussions about the
feasibility of creating a shared or pooled budget to manage complex
cross-border flooding issues or urgent flood risk projects. The
Director of Resident Services to lead the co-ordination of work to
pursue funding and grant opportunities to undertake property
resilience, environmentally friendly flood mitigation, and sewage
overflow reduction schemes in Wolverhampton.

 

20. The
Director of Resident Services to publish an annual online schedule
of gulley cleansing and maintenance work on the Council website,
similar to bin collection information, to reassure the public about
ongoing efforts. Provide clear guidance on the prioritisation of
gulley maintenance work in high-risk flood areas and outline the
impacts of and proposed funding changes on the frequency of such
work

 

21. The
Director of Resident Services to lead the co-ordination of work to
collate  detailed
updates from Severn Trent Water on plans and funding commitments
aligned with OFWAT targets to improve
storm overflow infrastructure
by 2035 and 2050 respectively. The
Head of Highway
Network Management to monitor and report
progress and ensure alignment of local plans with regional flood
risk management strategies, focusing on protecting high-priority
sites and mitigating ecological harm.

 

22. The Director of Resident Services contact
colleagues in WMCA Environment team to
provide updates on climate adaptation research funding
opportunities, such as the potential partnership with the
University of Birmingham. The WMCA to be invited to report on
regional flood risk mitigation plans, including compliance checks
for large-scale developments on flood plains and the implications
of
Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act
2010. The Director of Resident Services
to share progress on the rollout of green
infrastructure projects for example, permeable surfaces, rain
gardens, swales, green roofs, and other natural flood management
techniques aimed at addressing both storm flood risk and drought
challenges.