Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance, (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance that provided Members with an amended action plan at Appendix 1 as agreed at this Committee on the 26 July 2018.  The amendments aimed to clearly detail the various flood management projects being undertaken across the District, in conjunction with partners, and to clarify the purpose of the group and the goals it aims to achieve. 

The Environmental Health Manager, presenting the report advised the Committee that the revised action plan would assist when reviewing the current risk score for corporate risk 6 “Failure to have a clear shared plan regarding strategic ownership of coastal, fluvial and surface water flooding mitigation and long term maintenance responsibilities”.

She then took Members through the preamble, amendments and additions to the appendix since the last Committee, work achieved through partnership working. It was noted that there was still some feedback outstanding and it was difficult managing the various grant allocation for projects as Maldon District Council was not the ‘gatekeeper’ for this work. However, overall, this was a work in progress and the partners were engaging with Maldon District Council, in particular the Environment Agency. Furthermore the Council had taken the lead on a number of flood defence projects.

It was recognised that, maintenance aside, it was imperative to focus on the key risks, major projects and improvement of flood defences, in particular safeguarding the railway line to Southminster and the Causeway area. The Committee acknowledged that working alongside landowners, Essex County Council, other agencies and Network Rail will be crucial going forward to tackle the aforementioned issues.

It was agreed that the Action Plan at Appendix 1 to the report, updated on a six month basis, was a very useful way of monitoring the situation as it mapped all the issues pertaining to corporate risk. It was further agreed that the risk score for this corporate risk remain at 16.

The Chairman and Committee Members thanked the Environmental Health Manager for all her hard work in compiling the action plan.

RESOLVED that Members had noted the amendments to the action plan provided in Appendix 1 to the report and reviewed the current risk score as a result of the amendments.