Flooding and drainage
Reort flooding or standing water
Is your home at risk of flooding?
- Check the risk of river flooding to your property. Visit the Environment Agency's Floodline site and type in your postcode to find out if your home is at risk. You can also sign up to their free flood alerts online or by phoning 0845 988 1188.
- Check the details of your insurance policy and add cover if necessary. The average cost of flood damage to homes is £30,000 so try to get cover if you can afford it.
- Talk to your neighbours about how you could work together in the event of a future flood. You can also contact your district council to ask for advice on developing a Community Emergency Response Plan.
Is your business at risk of flooding?
The information above for residential homes is also useful for businesses.
You can create a flood plan, it does not need to be detailed or complex. Many of the actions you can take are simple but effective. They may include:
- Making a list of all organisations and individuals you deal with - including their contact details. Keep a list at work and at one other safe location.
- If you use databases and other computer applications, back them up regularly and keep the back copies in at least one other safe location.
- Consider how you might operate temporarily from another location.
- Keep details of your machinery and contents so that replacements can be ordered quickly.
- Take notes of all the actions you take and expenses incurred to assist you with your insurance claim.
Read more about our Emergency Management Service and business continuity.
Read more about local flood risk management.
Surface Water Management Plans
Under the Flood & Water Management Act 2010, we became the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for the county, now responsible for managing flood risk from surface run off, ordinary water courses and ground water. We have begun a programme of Surface Water Management Plans (SWMPs) to assist us in better understanding this form of flooding. Cheltenham has been identified by us and the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as an area vulnerable to surface water flooding, and as a result we (in partnership with local stakeholders) are undertaking a SWMP in Cheltenham.
The first stage of the Cheltenham SWMP has been to produce a map of the entire urban area to identify areas which are more vulnerable to surface water flooding and should be examined in greater detail. The map has been produced using a rainfall event similar to that experienced in Cheltenham in July 2007:
Areas vulnerable to surface water flooding - Cheltenham [3Mb] Please note: this map is not suitable to identify whether individual properties or businesses are vulnerable to surface water flooding - Surface Water Management Plans - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) [264kb]
The next stage of the Cheltenham SWMP has been to undertake a more detailed assessment in areas most vulnerable to surface water flooding. This identifies potential measures to reduce surface water flooding and will help produce an action plan for managing surface water flooding in the short and long term. Further consultation with local communities is planned in summer 2012 in the areas where a detailed assessment is being carried out.
Other useful information
Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment: Preliminary Assessment Report (November 2011) [2Mb]
Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment: Annex 1 - 3 [360kb] FAQs: Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment [73kb] Flood Resilience update [15Mb] Your Essential Flood Guide - information, news and forward planning [2Mb] Waterside Living in Gloucestershire [897kb] Flood Defence Products [141kb]
