SOUTH KESTEVEN DISTRICT COUNCIL
FLOODING AND FLOOD PREVENTION INFORMATION
Prevention — Responsibility of Private Residents & Business Owners:
Private residents or business owners are responsible for protecting their own property from floodwater and it is highly recommended that they have plans in place to do so. South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) advise anyone who feels they are at risk of flooding to invest in some form of flood protection to reduce the risk of flooding. There is no statutory requirement for local authorities to provide sandbags to private residents or business owners. You can find information on what products are available on the National Flood Forum website.
Residents can find general information on preparing for a flood and register to receive flood warnings on the Government website: https://www.qov. uk/sign-up-for-flood-warninqs
Please also find below a link to the Lincolnshire Community Risk Register which includes a section on flooding and ‘self-help’ on pages 10 and 11.
communitv-risk-reaister-for-lincolnshire-2018-2021
Lead Local Flood Authority
Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) is designated as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) under the Flood Water Management Act 2010 and should be contacted in the first instance on 01522 78 2082 for flooding enquiries or requests for support.
Emergencies
If residents feel there is an imminent risk of flooding with threat to life or property, they should contact the Fire Service immediately, dialling 999.
Civil Contingencies — Declared Emergency Incidents:
LCC and SKDC, as local authorities, are identified in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 as category 1 responders and as such have a duty to plan for civil emergencies, which includes flooding. As one of the main bodies representing the community, SKDC may be called upon by another Category 1 responder to support an emergency response and assist with recovery.
Category 1 responders also include:
Lincolnshire Police, including the British Transport Police Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service
East Midlands Ambulance Service HM Coastguard
Environment Agency
The definition of an emergency, according to the Civil Contingencies Act, is:
an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare in a place in the United Kingdom
an event or situation which threatens serious damage to the environment of a place in the United Kingdom; or
war, or terrorism which threatens serious damage to the security of the United Kingdom
South Kesteven District Council:
SKDC maintains a small stock of sandbags at its Grantham depot. During emergency situations, members of staff may be deployed to deliver sandbags to affected areas under the direction of the officer’s co-ordinating the emergency response or at the request of emergency services.
The Council has a duty as a landlord to support vulnerable council tenants and the property and they can call 01476 40 6080 or 01476 40 6040 out of hours if they require a delivery of sandbags.
Although there is no legal requirement to do so, where supplies allow and there is a serious risk of internal flooding to an occupied private residential property, sandbags may be provided to vulnerable residents on a priority basis by calling 01476 40 6080 or 01476 40 6040 out of hours. All requests for sandbags will be triaged by the on-call team dealing with the requests. If there is no immediate threat to property or life, then these will not be prioritised. In general, SKDC is unable to:
Provide sandbags to protect gardens
Provide sandbags for protecting outbuildings (including garages, whether integral or external)
Provide sandbags for protecting non-habitable parts of any private dwelling Provide sandbags to protect unoccupied private dwelling
Provide sandbags where the private dwelling is already flooded Provide sandbags for protecting commercial premises
Provide sandbags as a precautionary measure unless there is a real risk of internal flooding Guarantee the supply of sandbags to any premises. Residents are responsible to make their own arrangements before flooding occurs
Guarantee the effectiveness or adequacy of supply of sandbag products provided Accept responsibility for placement of sandbags