Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport seeking approval to accept new funding awarded by Defra through the Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder fund and add the funding to the capital programme for flood risk management with authority to spend.  The additions are programmed over the next two financial years starting this year for delivery of a flood risk management project in St. Deny’s to improve household and community flood resilience.

i.  To accept the grant of £472,000 from Defra through the Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder Scheme;

ii.  To add, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, a sum of £472,000 to the Environment and Transport Capital Programme in order to deliver the Flood Risk Management scheme; and

iii.  To approve, in accordance with Financial Procedural Rules, capital expenditure of £472,000, phased £95,000 in 2013/14 and £377,000 In 2014/15 to deliver the flood risk management project in St. Denys.

1. This new source of funding has been secured for delivery of a flood risk management project to improve household and community flood resilience within the area of St. Denys at significant risk of flooding following a recent successful funding bid.
2. Delivery of the flood risk management project will enable the Council to achieve implementation of one of the priority schemes identified within the Southampton Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Strategy (2012).

1. An alternative is to not accept the funding.  This option was rejected on the basis that those households within the significant flood risk area in St. Denys would continue to face the same level of risk with little or no assistance with implementing measures to help manage the risks in the short term.  The Council would also have to find alternative funding sources to finance the identified scheme proposed within the Southampton Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Strategy (2012) which might not be sufficient to deliver a combination of resistance and resilience measures and the wider community engagement work that can be achieved with this grant funding. 
2. By not accepting the funding, the Council would also miss out on the opportunity to develop and share knowledge and experience locally and across the country with the other successful project bids, with a view to developing best practice which will be promoted nationally through the Defra Pathfinder scheme.