Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Public comments on planning applications play an important role in ensuring that flood risk is properly considered in new developments.

As Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), we review major planning applications to assess their surface water drainage strategies. This is where local knowledge can be valuable. Residents often have first-hand experience of surface water issues, historic flooding, or drainage problems that might not otherwise be identified in the planning process

If you notice a development (major or minor) proposed in your area and have concerns about flood risk, drainage, or water management, submitting a comment through the Local Planning Authority (LPA) can bring these issues to our attention. We work closely with LPAs to review applications, and if significant concerns are raised by the community, we may be asked to provide further input.

Your local knowledge, whether awareness of past flooding, drainage problems, or poorly maintained watercourses, can help ensure that existing issues are considered in the decision-making process. To find and comment on planning applications in your area, visit your local council’s planning portal.

Upcoming training sessions.
Communities Prepared – a national community resilience programme -offers a variety of training sessions. The training sessions are free and accessible online, making them valuable for flood groups aiming to enhance their preparedness and resilience.

There are several upcoming training sessions which may be of interest.
Flood Volunteer Session.
Community Emergency Planning Part One.
Community Emergency Planning Part Two.
Introduction to Resilience.
For more details on upcoming events and to register for training sessions, please visit the Communities Prepared events page.

Flood Group Chairs meeting.
Monday 24 March 2025 saw our inaugural meeting of Flood Group chairs from across Cambridgeshire. The event took place at Alconbury Hall with representation from 15 flood groups, as well as Cambridgeshire County Council and the Environment Agency.

The meeting provided an opportunity for groups to meet and to share knowledge and experience of establishing and maintaining flood groups.

There was a wide range of discussion topics, including how groups can coordinate at a strategic level, the role of flood groups in the planning process, activities undertaken by flood groups, and ways in which groups monitor and respond to water levels in their areas. Several actions came out of the meeting, including:

• Inviting other organisations such as Anglian Water, Internal Drainage Boards and District Councils to future meetings.
• Members of the group forming communication channels such as a WhatsApp group to share information during flood events.
• Looking at ways in which flood groups can communicate and share information with each other, such as template flood plans.

The group reported that they found the meeting to be extremely useful and that it will now take place quarterly. If you were unable to attend, but would like to know about future meetings, please drop us an email at floodandwater@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

From 08:00am on 23rd May essential work will be carried out by the network operator.
Work should be finished by 20:00pm on same day 23rd May.

Check FDC Planning Portal and search F/YR25/0388 and F/YR25/0377

©FDC

Some contactors who installed a ‘new’ water facitilty at the Bower Moorings, left the job in what some may say in a poor state of repair, Cllr Sennitt-Clough and myself have asked FDC to get the contactors back.

Only recently tidied up, ‘someone’ had again dumped a load of rubbish which had to be collected….

(l-r) Cllr Chris Boden Leader of FDC. Cllr Brenda Barber Chair of FDC. Paul Medd CEO.