Issue - meetings

This report is to present Adaptation and Resilience Risk Register to Policy and Resources Committee.

Recommendation:

That Members approve the Adaptation and Resilience Risk Register and recommend to Council on 12th December 2023 for adoption.

Note that the actions arising from the register will form part of service plans.

The finance and budgetary risk register should add a direct reference to the

adaptation and resilience risk register.

The Committee considered a report, the purpose of which was to demonstrate that Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) acknowledged that climate adaptation was a crucial part of the climate and ecological emergency, and that TRDC was acting accordingly to ensure that the Council was resilient and adaptable to the risks associated with the impacts of climate change.

Joanna Hewitson, Climate Change & Sustainability Strategy Officer, presented the report.

In the subsequent discussion, the following points arose.

a)    In Appendix A, it was proposed that the Fire Brigade should be included in Column 17: D – Drought, at Paragraph D1.

b)    That there was a need to address pluvial (surface water) flooding and to inform residents of what measures they could take to mitigate this risk.

The Chair stated that information would be provided on the Council’s website.

c)    Regarding the use of Article 4 Directions (removal of permitted development rights) as a means of restricting property owners from paving over driveways and other such activities which were to the detriment of the environment, it was noted that the Council’s Planning officers had been consulted when the Risk Register was compiled.

As a critical aspect of flood prevention, officers had carried out communication exercises intended to inform the public about paving over driveways and had liaised with Planning officers on stressing environmental protection measures when considering planning applications.

d)    Referring to statistics provided by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) it was noted that there was a significant problem with blocked gullies not being cleared and that HCC had yet to approve its Drainage strategy.

To address problems of flooding, the Council, when considering Planning applications for new developments, had required the inclusion of attenuation ponds as part of the development which had the benefit of resolving flooding issues beyond the area of the development.

e)    Regarding the use of Article 4 Directions, it was proposed that officers could look at their application in relation to, say, conservation areas, and not just single planning applications.

Councillor Lloyd, seconded by Councillor Tankard, moved that the Committee approve the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED: That the Committee –

1.    Approve the Adaptation and Resilience Risk Register (“the Register”);

2.    Recommend to Full Council at its meeting on 12 December 2023 that it adopt the Register;

3.    Note that the actions arising from the Register would form part of the Service Plans; and

4.    The Finance and Budgetary Risk Register should add a direct reference to the Adaptation and Resilience Risk Register.