Enforcing issues that could cause flooding

The Land Drainage Act 1991 gives us powers to enforce:

• a failure to repair or maintain watercourses, bridges or drainage works
• works without consent
• impediments to the proper flow of water

We are responsible for enforcing issues on watercourses that aren't part of the internal drains system or main rivers (which are the responsibility of the Environment Agency) - we'll consider if an issue is likely to increase the risk of flooding and its impacts.

We can issue a notice for works to resolve the issue. If we need to fix any issues, we will look to recover the costs and potentially prosecute the responsible party.

Last updated 11 May 2023