The Environment, Overview and Scrutiny panel met to discuss flood risk management, performance and budget monitoring, and to refresh the scrutiny work programme. The panel received the Flood Risk Management Annual Report and heard from partner organisations about their work to manage flood risk in Worcestershire. The panel also discussed performance and budget monitoring information for services relating to the environment and agreed to some amendments to the scrutiny work programme for the coming year.

Flood Risk Management Annual Report

The panel received the Flood Risk Management Annual Report, which summarised flood risk management activities and progress from February 2024 to the end of March 2025. Matt McGuinness, flood risk manager for Worcestershire County Council, presented the report, highlighting that the total rainfall for 2024 recorded at the Civic Centre weather station in Pershore was 1128 mm, the highest ever recorded.

Mr McGuinness noted that the consecutive record-breaking heavy rainfall over the last five or six years was the dominant factor in flooding, and that warmer winters and summers meant the air could hold more moisture, leading to more significant and torrential rain.

...the absolute dominant one is simple and it's rainfall and it's rainfall amounts and what we've experienced over the last five years is generally warmer winters with generally wetter more rainfall across the board summers have been generally a bit warmer but what that brings with it is the air being able to hold more moisture and then when we do get rain it's it's more uh significant and torrential...

Mr McGuinness also stressed the importance of partnership working between different organisations to manage flood risk. Representatives from Seven Trent, the Environment Agency, North Worcestershire Water Management, and the South Worcestershire Land Drainage Partnership were in attendance.

The report included a list of flood risk management schemes that have been completed, are under construction, or are planned/potential. These schemes seek to reduce flood risk to domestic properties, businesses, key roads and other critical infrastructure.

Planning Applications

Councillors raised concerns about the scrutiny of planning applications, particularly with the pressure to allow development and the cumulative effect of development on flood risk. Councillor Emma Kearsey said that a planning application in her division had been allowed on flood zone 2, despite objections.

Andrew Fowle, Assistant Manager for the South Worcestershire Land Drainage Partnership, said that they tried to steer development into flood zone 1 areas, but were now running out of land to build on. He added that a lot of the policies they work to are not necessarily being improved to replicate the data that suggests that with the rainfall that we should be dealing with.

Richard Osborne from North Worcestershire Water Management, added that developers should not be releasing any more water than the greenfield runoff of the site, and should be making an improvement. He also noted that there were concerns about the ongoing maintenance of infrastructure, and urban creep¹.

Priorities

Councillor Kearsey asked Councillor Ian Cresswell, the Cabinet Member for the Environment and Communities, what his priorities were around flooding and continuing mitigation and alleviation measures to protect residents. Councillor Cresswell said that he intended to continue to work with partners to do the best he can for local residents. He mentioned several flood management schemes that are underway, including Bugley, Toronto Close, Seven Stoke, and Tembury Wells.

Councillor Kearsey expressed concern that budgets were being cut and that work was not being continued. Councillor Cresswell responded that the budgets have not been finalised at the moment, and that he would look into it and get back to her.

Natural Flood Management

Councillor Louis Stephen, Chair of the Council, asked about the strategy and resources for prevention work, rather than just repairs. He suggested that more emphasis should be put on natural water prevention schemes, which would probably be cheaper and have a higher biodiversity net gain.

Mr McGuinness responded that the council was increasingly looking at working with nature, particularly in the upper catchment of water courses. He said that the council was four years into a natural flood management project called Worcestershire Working with Water, and that this was being increased in its scope and funding, particularly at Tembury. He also mentioned the River Seven Partnership, which is working on projects to hold back and slow down the flow of water.

Councillor Cresswell added that he had been in consultation with the National Farmers Union and the Wildlife Trust on land management.

Walker Lane Ford

Councillor Anthony Upton raised the issue of the ford at Walker Lane in Drakes Broughton, which he said had already taken a life. He asked what could be done to help, and suggested creating a turning circle so that people could change their mind if the water level was too high.

Mr McGuinness responded that this was an extremely serious and difficult issue, and that it was taken extremely seriously. He added that there was a policy in place, and that it was constantly being looked at to find the right way.

Recommendations

The panel made the following recommendations:

• That Councillor Cresswell write to national government to say that they want them to take into account the flooding that is taking place when considering planning applications.
• That officers feed back in a broad way about planning conditions, and draw out generic examples of what happens and if there are any specific ones they can refer to.
• That there is more information about natural water management in the next report.
• That there is a policy on fords presented to members.
• That district and county meet to discuss their road sweeping and how that will affect flooding.
• That there is more information about sewage discharge next time.
• That Councillor Cresswell come back within the next month or six weeks to say what his plans are for this financial year in terms of flooding.

Performance and 2025/26 In-Year Budget Monitoring

Dave Corbett from Performance Services, gave an update on performance and budget monitoring for the first quarter of 2025/26. He highlighted areas of success, such as planned highways inspections completed on time, and areas of challenge, such as the continued increase in outstanding public rights of way reports.

Sarah MacDonald, Senior Finance Business Partner for Economy, Infrastructure, and Corporate Services, gave an overview of the financial position of the county council. She said that the overall position was a break even position, but that this was relying on the use of reserves and exceptional financial support. She noted that the overspends were in the demand-led areas of adults and children's social care.

Ms MacDonald also said that the capital program was being reviewed, and that full council would be asked to consider a reduction in borrowing against a number of schemes.

Highways and Footways

Councillor Stephen asked about the specification for ensuring that new resurfacing of roads and pavements is completely flat and smooth. He said that he had seen a new path in his division that looked great, but was quite bubbly and not suitable for cycling or mobility scooters.

Elliot Pritchard, Head of Highways Operations for the County Council, responded that there would be a tolerance within the specification, and that he would get the issue looked at.

Councillor Kearsey said that she had seen new pavements that were crumbling apart with weeds growing through them. Mr Pritchard responded that the pavements are pre-treated for weeds, and that he would get the issue sorted.

Public Rights of Way

Councillor Kearsey raised an issue with a public rights of way issue that had been reported and had been in play for approximately nine months. She said that the parish council had been told that there were no resources, and that she thought the communication was poor.

Mr Pritchard responded that there had been some challenges within that service area, and that they were now in the process of recruiting to a number of vacancies. He encouraged councillors to continue to report matters through, and to flag any safety concerns.

Capital Programme

Councillor Matt Jenkins, Green And Independent Alliance Group Leader, asked how the cuts to the capital budget for highways would affect the conditions of the highways and footways.

Rachel Hill, the Acting Strategic Director for the Economy and Infrastructure Directorate at Worcestershire County Council, responded that it was difficult to say exactly how many kilometers would be affected, but that it would have an impact.

Councillor Cresswell said that safety would continue to be paramount, and that the budget had been reviewed to cause the minimum amount of disruption to the general public.

Recommendations

The panel made the following recommendations:

• That the panel be provided with the figure for how much members have used of the members discretionary fund in the past year for footways and highways.
• That the cabinet member come back with his plans for the next financial year.

Refresh of the Scrutiny Work Programme

The panel considered suggestions for its 2025/26 Work Programme. It was agreed that the work programme would be flexible and could be changed at future meetings.

The panel agreed to the work programme on the basis that it was not binding and could be changed going forward.