Partners across London have joined forces to take action in making the capital more resilient to flooding from surface water, publishing the first London Surface Water Strategy.
Heavy downpours, which caused significant flooding and serious disruption in London in July 2021, are predicted to become more frequent and severe due to climate change and urban landscapes. The London Surface Water Strategic group was formed following these floods, with key organisations across London coming together to improve the way surface water is managed.
The London Surface Water Strategy is published by the Flood Ready London partnership, made up of Environment Agency, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, Mayor of London, Thames Water, and Transport for London. It provides detailed water and geographical information to help the water industry, developers and planners learn more about London’s flood risk to develop policy, design schemes or inform local action to help prevent and reduce the risk of surface flooding in the capital.
Flood Ready London is also working to find the best, most practical and cost-effective ways to help Londoners be prepared for flooding. Developed through a series of consultations with boroughs, environmental organisations, and community groups, the solutions proposed rely on collective, pan-London working.
Ten Surface Water Catchment Partnerships are being trialled over the next two years to cover the whole of Greater London, with the first two covering Central London and Lee Valley. These partnerships will bid for funding to implement practical, cost-effective initiatives to manage storm surface water, such as replacing hard landscaping with rain gardens and making allowances for surface water overflows in new developments.
The development and delivery of the Strategy is led by the Flood Ready London partnership made up of Environment Agency, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, Mayor of London, Thames Water and Transport for London, supported by Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. A further £1.5 million has been committed for the delivery of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) with contributions of £500k each from the Mayor of London, Transport for London and Thames Water. Flood Ready London will be continuing to identify and draw down additional funding in the short term to support its work.
Charlie Wood, Environment Agency Director for London said:
“We are proud to be part of leading such a groundbreaking approach to reducing the impacts of urban surface water flooding in a major worldwide city like London. This partnership is the perfect example of how the Environment Agency provides strategic overview for all forms of flooding nationwide. Working with the mayor, boroughs and partners across London, we have produced a truly evidence-led, catchment-based approach to a complex issue. We must now focus our collaborative efforts on where we can all make most impact.”
Cllr Kieron Williams, London Councils’ Executive Member for Transport and Environment, said:
“Boroughs play a vital role in protecting our city from the very real threat of flooding. We know the devastating, long-lasting impact it can have on people’s homes, businesses and livelihoods, disproportionately affecting our most vulnerable communities. We saw this first hand in July 2021 when two devastating storms flooded at least 2,000 properties across the capital. We are committed to ensuring Londoners are protected from the risk of flooding and the huge damage and disruption it can bring.
“Through Flood Ready London, we will work with partners to take a coordinated and collaborative approach to surface water management that helps protect our city and better prepare our communities for when flooding does occur. This will build on the extensive work boroughs already do to prevent flooding across the capital – from installing rain gardens and other sustainable drainage solutions, to working with local communities to raise awareness of flood risk.”
London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said:
“Climate change is evolving the challenges fire and rescue services face, and it is important to have the plans in place to ensure that London is more resilient to the extreme weather we are experiencing on an increasingly regular basis. Heavy rain and urban flooding can cause significant damage to property and infrastructure. Being prepared will help minimise this threat and is vital to the wellbeing of this city and all Londoners.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
“The climate emergency remains one of the biggest threats we face. In the past we’ve seen how devastating flash flooding can be to Londoners, and extreme weather events are unfortunately becoming more common in our city. I’m determined to do all I can to make London more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The London Surface Water Strategy is a new pan-London approach which will see us work closely with environmental organisations to better adapt, prepare for and reduce the impact of surface water flooding.
“Together, we will work to future-proof the capital against climate change and build a better, greener London for everyone.”
Alex Nickson, Head of Partnerships and Catchment Management at Thames Water said:
“This strategy is a groundbreaking approach to dealing with the very real challenge of flooding in London. We have seen the devastating impact it can have on homes and businesses so are delighted to be a part of this cross-agency approach to dealing with the problem.
“We are seeing increasingly heavy rainfall events which overwhelm the capital’s drainage system. This strategy outlines how we can all work together to safely manage water at a surface level to protect people, property and livelihoods. As well as flood protection, this strategy will also help to make London a far greener city for everyone.”
Lilli Matson, Chief Safety, Health & Environment Officer at Transport for London said:
“Transport for London is committed to providing a climate-resilient transport network that is safe, reliable, inclusive and sustainable for our customers and colleagues. Any response to the future threat of flooding has to involve a wide range of agencies working in concert. We are proud to be a founding partner in the development of this first Surface Water Strategy for London. We will continue to work together with other stakeholders to share knowledge, engage with wider audiences and ensure standards pro-actively improve the capital’s resilience to climate change. This strategy proposes practical solutions to the problems we are facing now and takes a long-term view on how we deal with existential challenges decades down the line.”
