Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability seeking approval to increase the Housing and Sustainability revenue budget in the relevant financial years to enable a grant from the Environment Agency to be claimed to fund the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme preliminary study.

(i)  To accept a grant from the Environment Agency, totalling £457,000, to carry out the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme preliminary study.

(ii)  To approve, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, the addition of £221,000 to the Housing and Sustainability Portfolio revenue budget in 2013/14 to commence work on the study, subject to formal written confirmation from the Environment Agency of the grant funding approval, and to note that a further addition of £236,000 to the 2014/15 revenue budget will be formally made as part of the preparation of that financial years’ budget.

The current revenue budget does not have provision for this work and the acceptance of the Environment Agency grant and subsequent increase in budget will fully fund the development of the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme preliminary study which will identify a feasible flood defence scheme to reduce flood risk to the susceptible areas along the River Itchen frontage within the Bevois and Bargate wards

The alternative of not providing funding for this study would prevent the identification of a feasible flood defence scheme recommended as a priority scheme within the Southampton Coastal Flood & Erosion Risk Management Strategy (2012), which would adversely affect the ability to reduce the risk of tidal flooding along this frontage.

None