Flood related roles of parish councils and communities
Parish Councils and local residents can play an important role in managing flood risk at the community level. Communities living in areas at risk should prepare community flood plans, and residents can ensure each household has its own flood plan.
Individuals can also help by getting involved with local Flood Warden schemes, as well as gathering information on flooding by reporting any flood incidents in their area.
Communities and Parish Councils can also raise additional funding for local flood resilience and flood defence measures, as well as undertaking regular maintenance.
What you can do in your area
Find out about partnership funding
Under the partnership funding system, flood alleviation schemes may be able to proceed if additional funding can be raised locally to supplement national funding.
Start looking into how to raise funds locally, discuss with neighbours and landowners.
Join (or form) a flood action group
You can contact existing groups or may be able to set up your own group with the help of the independent charity, the National Flood Forum.
You can also contact existing flood groups across social media.
Work with us
Local authorities and other agencies work together to address flood risk issues in your area.
Help to prepare a Community Flood Plan - you can use a Community Flood Plan template.
Volunteer to be a flood warden
Flood wardens can help a community to be prepared for flooding and can bring the community together during difficult times.
Flood wardens are members of the local community – they can be individuals, representatives of the parish councils or existing volunteers.
If you or a member of your community is interested in volunteering to become a flood warden, please contact [email protected].
Monitoring local watercourses
Residents can take responsibility for monitoring local watercourses. They can then inform the relevant authority if work is needed (such as gully cleansing/blocked drains).
Take part in public consultations
You can take part in the following public consultations:
All of these need the knowledge that local residents can bring to decision-making.
Find out about proposed plans to reduce flood risk in your area
Written details will be available from the organisation managing the scheme(s), which may be the Environment Agency, other risk management authorities (such as, for example, the National Highways, water companies, etc) or your Local Authority.
This should include:
- the proposal details
- how the work is being funded
- what level of protection is being provided
- how likely it is that the scheme will go-ahead
- when it would it be implemented
Protect and make your property more resilient to flooding
Explore Flood Advice for Homeowners to find out how to make properties within your community more resilient to flooding.
The cost of surveys, or work carried out, could be discounted if several properties in the same area need the same thing.
Sign up to flood warnings
You can sign up for flood warnings if your business is at risk.
Reporting a flood
In an emergency dial 999.
Once you are safe from flooding, report the incident to us.
Fix My Street can be used for street related flooding and other issues.
Parish/Town council flood letters
These letters provide a template for parish and town councils to ask landowners to clear their ditches and watercourses in order to reduce the risk of flooding in the community.
Further information and useful links
- WNC Emergency Planning
- Preparing for emergencies
- Prepare for flooding
- The National Flood Forum
- Red Cross – How to prepare for emergencies
Last updated 11 April 2024