Charnwood Borough Council Flood Information
As there is currently a flood warning and a number of flood alerts in force across the borough, we thought it would be helpful to provide some information and advice in relation to flooding.
We have also put together a webpage on our website to provide residents with some useful information, advice and links. www.charnwood.gov.uk/flooding
Who is responsible for what?
Charnwood Borough Council is only responsible for clearing gullies and keeping watercourses flowing on land it owns. We have a maintenance schedule to ensure that happens.
Leicestershire County Council is responsible for maintaining road gullies and brooks on its own land. Landowners also have a duty to ensure watercourses on their land are flowing freely.
The Environment Agency is responsible for the maintenance of main rivers which are usually large rivers and streams such as Sileby Brook and Wood Brook in Loughborough.
Flood alerts
If you live in a part of the borough which is prone to flooding, signing up to the Environment Agency flood alerts is free and easy. The alerts will notify you about possible flooding and you can sign up via the EA’s website.
Sandbags and other flood defence products
The borough council stocks a limited number of sandbags and does not have a statutory duty to provide them.
The small number of sandbags the Council have will be issued to:
- protect life, critical infrastructure and buildings, eg hospitals and substations
- protect elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents
- support the emergency services
It’s also worth noting that sandbags provide limited protection against flooding and are most effective when in place before flooding takes place. Once flooding occurs the distribution of sandbags also becomes more challenging.
Therefore, if residents know their property is prone to flooding, they may want to consider investing in other flood defence products. Blue Pages is the UK’s leading independent flood directory which is run by the National Flood Forum charity.
Reporting a flood
The cause of the flood may determine which organisation you need to report it to. Leicestershire County Council is the lead local flood authority and more information about which organisations you may need to contact is available on their website
Sharing information with residents
As trusted voices in the local community, it is really important to remember to share information and updates from credible sources on social media to avoid spreading misinformation.
Useful social media accounts
Below are some useful Twitter accounts to follow in relation to flooding:
- Charnwood Borough Council – @CharnwoodBC
- Leicestershire County Council – @LeicsCountyHall
- Environment Agency – @EnvAgency
- Environment Agency Midlands – @EnvAgencyMids
- Met Office – @MetOffice
- Met Office East Midlands – @metofficeEMids
- Leicester Fire and Rescue – @LeicsFireRescue
- Leicestershire Police – @leicspolice
- Charnwood Police – @CharnwoodPolice
- Leicester Area Traffic Control – @ATCLeicester
- Leicestershire & Rutland – @LR4x4Response