Potholes: Treating the illness not just the symptom
With the publication of the ALARM survey, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, David Giles, talks to LocalGov about investing in local roads.
Flood defences get £2.65bn boost
31/03/2025 The Government has announced an investment of £2.65bn over two years to improve flood protection in local areas. |
Flood defence funding boost ‘tip of the iceberg’
05/02/2025 Defra's decision to top up funding for flood defences by £250m raises spending in this area to record levels but is still just ‘tip of the iceberg’, MPs say. |
DCN: Triple drainage board funding
29/01/2025 The District Councils' Network (DCN) has called on the Government to increase its funding to help local authorities struggling to pay drainage board levies. |
Major flooding incident in Somerset as residents evacuated
28/01/2025 A major incident was declared in Somerset yesterday as residents were evacuated from their homes due to flooding. |
Council announces extra support for flood-hit residents
10/01/2025 Manchester City Council has announced more support for local communities affected by the severe flooding on New Year's Day. |
Wallace & Gromit creators to make flooding awareness film
06/01/2025 Lincolnshire County Council has commissioned the animators behind Wallace and Gromit to create a film raising awareness of the dangers of flooding. |
Councils battle new year floods
02/01/2025 Councils in the north west of England are continuing to work around the clock following floods on New Year's Day. |
Pop-up flood awareness centre opens in Hull
26/11/2024 A pop-up flood awareness centre has opened in Hull to offer advice on how to prepare in the event of flooding. |
New scheme aims to improve mental health of flood-risk communities
04/11/2024 A ‘trailblazing’ project has launched to improve the mental health of communities at risk of flooding in West Yorkshire. |
Over 200,000 properties face flooding risk
16/10/2024 More than 200,000 properties in the South East are at risk of flooding, the Environment Agency has warned. |
Met Office launches climate tool for councils
10/10/2024 The Met Office has launched a new tool to help councils adapt to the climate emergency. |
Permission given for 7,000 homes in flood zones
09/10/2024 Planning permission has been granted to build more than 7,000 homes in the areas at the highest risk of flooding in England, a new report has revealed. |
£27m flood protection scheme gets the go-ahead
06/09/2024 Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £27m contract to deliver a flood protection scheme in Scotland on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council. |
Fire chiefs call for legal duty on extreme weather response
23/08/2024 The UK’s fire and rescue services have called for statutory duties to respond to extreme weather events in England. |
Flood management funding ‘not working’
15/08/2024 The Government’s failure to devise a fair funding system for flood defences means wider service cuts for at-risk communities, council bosses have warned. |
Flood councils in urgent £11m cash call
21/05/2024 Councils managing flood risks have urgently called for £11m cash to plug a ‘widening gap’ in Internal Drainage Board (IDB) funding. |
Government advisers urge overhaul of infrastructure funding
16/05/2024 Councils should be given more funding to play a greater role in developing infrastructure projects, according to Government advisers. |
Councils must adapt to extreme weather threat
24/01/2024 Cara Jenkinson, Cities Manager, Ashden discusses how local authorities can adapt to the threat of extreme weather. |
Report warns of 'lethal' climate change risks
17/01/2024 With London and the UK ‘underprepared’ for extreme weather and an absence of national leadership on climate, regional government must adapt at pace, a new report argues. |
PAC: New housing continues to be built in high risk areas
17/01/2024 More than half of councils rarely or never inspect a new housing development to check compliance with flood risk planning conditions, new PAC report says. |
Preparing for future floods
16/01/2024 After Storm Henk, APSE principal advisor Rob Bailey sets out some of the steps local authorities should take to improve flood preparedness. |
Government launches Storm Henk flood fund
08/01/2024 Local authority areas that have been hit by flooding in the wake of Storm Henk are now able to apply for financial support. |
Notts residents warned of record Storm Henk floods
05/01/2024 Nottinghamshire County Council has declared a major incident as Storm Henk causes near-record levels of flooding. |
Only 5% of public feels ready for climate change
15/11/2023 Most of the public feels unprepared for the effects of climate change following the extreme heat, flooding and storms of recent years, LGA poll reveals. |
Road conditions add flood risk to pothole ‘crisis’
27/09/2023 English councils received hundreds of compensation claims for flood damage in recent years as they struggled to maintain roadside drainage, according to study. |
Gloucestershire to hold ‘urgent’ flood summit
20/09/2023 Agencies are set to consider flood prevention plans for Gloucestershire after county councillors called for an ‘urgent’ meeting. |
The River Thames Scheme: infrastructure to deliver a greener future
26/07/2023 Carolyn McKenzie, director of Environment at Surrey County Council, discusses how the River Thames Scheme will respond to the challenges of climate change. |
Council chiefs call for more climate change support
08/06/2023 The Government must do more to help local areas adapt to climate change, councils in England have warned. |
Decision to pull £50m flood scheme ‘disappointing’
15/05/2023 The Government’s decision not to go ahead with a £50m flood prevention scheme has been described as ‘disappointing’ by council leaders. |
First communities to receive extra flooding support announced
05/04/2023 The first communities in England to receive better flood protection as part of the Government’s £100m Frequently Flooded Allowance have been announced. |
Planning overhaul needed for climate change ‘resilience’, think tank says
08/03/2023 Successfully adapting to climate change will need an overhaul of the planning system to create measurable local targets, according to researchers. |
Councils urged to plan better for floods
21/02/2023 Planning experts have called on local authorities to do more to embed climate resilience into new developments and local plans. |
Somerset councils declare ‘major incident’ in response to floods
18/01/2023 Local authorities across Somerset have joined the Environment Agency (EA) in declaring a major incident because of flood risk in the county. |
Auditors warn of workforce shortages in flooding sector
15/12/2022 Local areas in Wales are facing a shortage of workers with experience in dealing with the impact of floods, auditors say. |
Is our housing equipped to deal with the increasing threat of floods?
14/12/2022 Cat White, director, Planning at consultancy Turley, discusses the challenges for housebuilders and local authorities as climate-related flood risks increase. |
600,000 properties face flooding risk
29/11/2022 An estimated 600,000 properties face flooding in the near future without action to reduce urban runoff and improve drainage systems, research warns. |
Flood plans should touch on surface risks, councils told
22/11/2022 Local authorities must do more to prepare for flash flooding as official figures reveal tens of thousands of homes are built in at-risk areas. |
Planning guidance updated to boost ‘flood resilience’
26/08/2022 Changes to planning guidance will provide better flood protection for new homes, according to the Government. |
It’s time to take climate adaptation seriously
28/07/2022 It is no longer enough for councils to focus solely on net zero for their climate emergency plans, says Jo Wall. Adaptation should be key, embedded by whole-systems thinking. |
New £100m fund to help communities hit repeatedly by flooding
26/07/2022 Communities that have been repeatedly flooded over the past decade will benefit a new ring-fenced £100m fund. |
Defra's £2.6bn flood protection scheme has protected over 314,000 homes
12/04/2022 A £2.bn flood protection scheme has exceeded its original targets by 14,000 homes, the Government has announced. |
London flash flooding review launched
21/12/2021 An independent review examining the flash flooding that affected many parts of the capital in July 2021 has launched. |
Over one million homes at risk of flooding
23/11/2021 As many as 1.5 million households in the UK are at risk of flooding but are yet to take any action, the Environment Agency has said. |
Gove warned of climate change floods risk
22/11/2021 Local government secretary Michael Gove was today urged to align UK housing policy with climate change. |
Councils must battle inaction after announcing a climate emergency
15/11/2021 Gayle Monk outlines the key considerations councils must make to better address the situation. |
Adaptation in danger of being ‘undercooked’ at COP26
13/10/2021 The importance of adapting local communities to make them more resilient in the face of the climate emergency is not being taken seriously enough, the Environment Agency today warned. |
Tighter planning rules to protect communities from flood risk
29/07/2021 Councils should ensure all planning applications made in flood risk areas are referred to ministers for approval, under new guidance published today. |
Calls to declare a climate and ecological emergency
06/05/2021 A climate and ecological emergency should be declared to avoid a health and mental health 'catastrophe', the Royal College of Psychiatrists has warned today. |
Local areas to receive £150m to trial flooding responses
29/03/2021 Twenty-five areas across England have been selected to receive a share of a £150m fund to develop new flooding responses. |
The future of rental in local government
03/03/2021 LocalGov found out how the regional and local COVID-19 testing centres were able to be built in just 12 hours. |
MPs call for review of local authority flood funding
26/02/2021 The Government needs a better understanding on whether funding allocated to local authorities to prevent flooding is matching local risks, MPs have warned today. |
Living in a climate emergency
11/02/2021 Cllr Scott Patient outlines how Calderdale MBC is working with partners and communities to both reduce flood risk and cut the impacts of climate change – but help is needed, and the council is calling on the Government to unlock resources. |
MPs accuse Government of lacking clear flood-resilience targets
08/02/2021 Local authority leaders have welcomed a call from MPs urging the Government to provide councils with the resources they need to protect vulnerable communities from flooding. |
The Bay – a pivot to purpose
26/01/2021 Tim Pope and Sam Plum explain why local government reorganisation can be used as a catalyst for a new generation of councils that reflect their local economies and can lead the recovery. |
Eight in ten councils hit by climate-related incidents
14/12/2020 Eight in ten councils have suffered climate-related incidents in the last five years, new research has revealed. |
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Flood funding for councils may not be enough, watchdog finds
27/11/2020 The Government is unable to prove councils have enough funding for flood defences, a spending watchdog has discovered. |
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Majority of councils lack expertise to deal with flood risk, survey reveals
28/07/2020 Local authorities are facing a critical shortage of the expertise needed to plan for climate change, a new survey has found. |
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Calls to devolve £5.2bn flood defences funding
14/07/2020 Councils have called for funding for flood defences to be devolved to local areas, after the Government announced its new long-term plan to tackle flooding in England. |
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Budget 2020: Flood-hit areas to share £200m defence fund
11/03/2020 The money will go to 25 areas based on criteria including repeated flooding. |
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Former 'red wall' support devolution to tackle climate change
10/03/2020 Three-quarters of former ‘red wall’ seats believe councils need extra funding and powers to deal with the climate emergency, a new survey has revealed. |
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Flood infrastructure funding increased by only £3m over decade
26/02/2020 Central Government funding for existing flood infrastructure has only increased by £3m over the last decade, according to a new analysis. |
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Environment Agency chief executive calls for more flood resilience
25/02/2020 A new ‘twin track’ approach focused on better flood protection and resilience is needed to deal with the climate emergency, the chief executive of the Environment Agency says. |
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70,000 homes ‘at risk’ of having no flood insurance
21/02/2020 A think tank has warned that there are around 70,000 homes that are at risk of having no flood insurance because they are built in high-risk flooding zones. |
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Government announces financial support for flood-hit areas
19/02/2020 The Government has announced councils in areas affected by recent flooding will receive grants to cover the cost of council tax and business rates reliefs. |
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Government activates emergency fund in the wake of Storm Dennis
17/02/2020 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick today activated the Government’s emergency financial assistance scheme for areas affected by Storm Dennis. |
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Repairs begin on Brislington flood defence scheme
03/02/2020 A £2m scheme to protect more than 100 properties in Bristol from flooding has begun. |
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From grey to green: The role of SuDS in Britain's green spaces
31/01/2020 Ian Geeson describes why green spaces are a key element of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and the role they play in helping Britain to avoid flooding. |
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Council advises residents to ‘clean up safely’ after flash floods
20/12/2019 Cornwall Council has urged residents affected by the flash flooding in the last 24 hours to clean up safely and keep evidence of flood damage. |
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Millions more to be affected by flooding as Greenland's ice melt faster than expected
11/12/2019 More than 40 million people than expected will be affected by coastal flooding by 2100 a new study has revealed. |
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Future Forum North: Rotherham flood response hampered by scandal
06/12/2019 The child abuse scandal in Rotherham continues to cast a long shadow over the work of the council - even affecting its work to tackle last month’s flooding. |
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£131m sea defences given the go-ahead
05/12/2019 Permission for sea defences in Portsmouth has been granted in what has been described as an ‘important milestone’ for the city's flood protection measures. |
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Herefordshire councils reimbursed for flooding costs
02/12/2019 Local authority areas in Herefordshire are to be reimbursed for costs incurred as a result of flooding. |
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A more holistic approach to tackling flood risk
21/11/2019 The only way to mitigate against flooding effectively is to understand how the whole, complex system works – not by making rules one development at a time, as Nick Fraser explains. |
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Change law to enable volunteers to respond to disasters, Red Cross says
20/11/2019 The British Red Cross is calling for the law to be changed so that voluntary groups are included in planning responses to emergencies and disasters. |
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Councils in flood-hit areas to receive £500 per affected house
13/11/2019 Local authorities in areas that have experienced flooding will be given £500 for each affected house to help with recovery efforts under the recovery scheme. |
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Emergency Bellwin scheme activated in response to flooding
11/11/2019 Councils will be able to apply to be reimbursed for costs incurred as part of their response to the heavy rainfall that has hit the regions in recent days. |
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Whitehall announces over £60m in flood defence funding
11/09/2019 Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has announced £62m of funding to help protect communities from floods. |
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Three projects secure funding to increase flood resilience
23/07/2019 Three projects will receive up to £700,000 each to research and test ways to make homes more flood resilient. |
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UK needs £1bn a year to combat flood threat
09/05/2019 A long-term strategy to ensure infrastructure is resilient to flooding and coastal change by 2050 has been unveiled today by the Environment Agency. |
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Whitehall launches consultation on local funding of flood defences
16/01/2019 The Government today announced that it wishes to ‘begin a conversation’ on increasing local funding for flood and coastal erosion management. |
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A thirst for water management
09/08/2018 Neill Robinson-Welsh explains how ‘smart’ non-potable water technology can simultaneously help mitigate flood and water stress. |
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Housing should be ‘more resilient’ to flood damage, architects say
04/05/2018 The Government needs to help homes and communities become more resilient to flood damage rather than focus on keeping the water out, charity says. |
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Belfast appoints resilience commissioner
10/04/2018 Belfast City Council has appointed a new commissioner to help the city prepare for any scenario that might prevent it from functioning properly. |
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District councils could be handed flood risk management responsibilities
16/01/2018 Local communities could have more say in how rivers are managed after a consultation which aims to transfer ‘flood risk management activities’ to district councils. |
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Evidence supporting natural flood management published
31/10/2017 The Environment Agency has for the first time published all of the evidence about the role of natural flood management in reducing flood risk in one place. |
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£30m flooding defence scheme announced
27/07/2017 A Yorkshire council has welcomed the Government’s announcement of £30m of funding for a major flood defence scheme. |
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Nine tenths of England’s floodplains ‘no longer work properly’
01/06/2017 A shocking 90% of the country’s floodplains are not fit for purpose, according to a new study. |
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Whitehall’s approach to sustainable drainage ‘sub-standand’, MPs warn
27/04/2017 MPs have criticised the Government’s ‘sub-standard’ approach to sustainable drainage (SuDs) for failing to protect communities from flood risk. |
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Whitehall ‘missing opportunities’ to tackle ‘ineffective’ flood defences
24/01/2017 MPs have accused the Government of ‘missing opportunities’ to act on an environment committee’s report warning of ‘ineffective’ flood management. |
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Lack of Whitehall policy preventing ‘natural' flood management methods
22/12/2016 The lack of a clear government policy is holding up 'natural' methods of flood management, according to campaigners. |
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Here comes the rain – are you prepared?
07/12/2016 Ian Carr outlines how councils can ensure they have an effective flood response plan in place. |
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Councils warn people to prepare for impact of flash flooding
23/11/2016 Council leaders have issued advice on how to prepare for flash flooding, as Storm Angus continues to hit parts of the country. |
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MPs demand ‘overhaul’ of Environment Agency’s flood management role
02/11/2016 MPs have demanded a complete ‘overhaul’ of the Environment Agency’s role in flood management—a move environmentalists have dubbed a ‘terrible idea’. |
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Councils reveal extent of flooding last winter
03/10/2016 More than 15,000 homes and businesses in the north of England were hit by floods last winter, according to the latest survey. |
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Council accuses Government of not taking the risk of flooding 'seriously enough'
09/09/2016 The Government has set aside £12.5m for new temporary flood defences in England after finding more than 500 key infrastructure sites were still vulnerable. |
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Council considers using parks as flood defences
01/08/2016 Sheffield City Council is consulting on proposals to divert floodwater into parks and woodlands in the event of a severe storm. |
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Councils must ‘work together’ to tackle threat of flooding, environment agency urges
06/07/2016 More than five million properties in England are at risk from flooding, according to the chief executive of the environment agency (EA). |
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Flash flooding disrupts final hours of EU referendum
24/06/2016 Poor weather caused disruption in parts of the country as voters made their way to polling booths. |
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Local authorities warn of flash floods caused by global warming
16/06/2016 Councils across the UK have launched awareness campaigns to highlight the devastating impact of flash floods. |
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Councils let down by flood protection funding
09/06/2016 Local authorities are not receiving the necessary support to prepare for or mitigate the impacts of flooding, a new report has warned. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.
