In a flooding event the council has obligations to maintain the highways and provide certain services. The council does not have a duty to provide flood protection for residents or businesses – this is the responsibility of you, the homeowner, the landlord, or the business owner. Where we can, council staff will try to help by providing sandbags to residents. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee the delivery of sandbags as we may be involved in making higher priority flood defences elsewhere. Also, it is important to remember that sandbags do not necessarily offer the best protection for homes; for the best protection to be obtained they must be carefully laid beforehand and often, there is too little time to do this effectively.
Your responsibilities:
As anyone who has been flooded will tell you, flooding of your home or business has a devestating effect, that can cause disruption for a considerable time. If you think that you are at risk from flooding you are strongly advised to make your preparations now, rather than later, as flooding can often strike with little warning. Many companies offer flood protection products that may be of use to you, and you should investigate what may be the best solution for you and your property.
You should take steps to ensure that should floods occur, you are protected by having sufficient insurance and that you have made your own arrangements to protect your family, property and belongings.
For a detailed guide please download the information sheet to the right under 'Read more'