Storm Babet flood consultation gets underway

A consultation into the causes of the Storm Babet flooding has been launched by Derbyshire County Council. In October 2023, Storm Babet caused flooding to around 1,600 properties in Derbyshire including a number in the Erewash Borough.

As the county council are the Lead Local Flood Authority they have a duty to complete a Section 19 Flooding Investigation, which is a requirement under the Floods and Water Management Act 2010, and it is this report that the council is asking for feedback from residents and anyone else affected by the floods.

The report provides a factual record of the flooding that took place during Storm Babet. It is not intended to provide options and actions to reduce the flood risk for all those who were affected, but it gives some high-level recommendations as to how future flood risk in Derbyshire could be managed. The draft report has been put together with feedback from other relevant organisations such as the Environment Agency. 

The report sets out 35 communities that were affected, these are communities where five or more residential properties were flooded. For each community the report details how they were flooded, and the extent and impacts of the flooding. It also contains detailed analysis of the rain that fell and the impact this had upon Derbyshire’s rivers. 

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Charlotte Cupit, said: “We know the devastating impact the Storm Babet floods had on many residents and businesses last year.

“This formal report into the floods will set out a factual record of what happened and what the effect on the county was, and the 12 week consultation into the draft report is to get the views of those who were sadly affected. 

“This report is full of detail and sets out some high-level recommendations to help those parts of the county that flooded.

“Alongside as well as part of the report, we continue working with other organisations to do all we can to try and prevent or mitigate future flooding.

“I’d encourage anyone affected to respond to the consultation with your views and information.”

The consultation can be found at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/flood-consultation, and is open until 19th December 2024.