Land Drainage & Flooding

If you want to find out if you live in an area at risk of flooding use the search facility provided by the Environment Agency

Catchment Management

The Council's main responsibility is to limit and control damage from flooding of ordinary watercourses (not Main River i.e. River Soar), by making sure the districts land drainage systems perform satisfactorily.

Overall management of our 'river catchments' is split between:

• 'Main River channels' - The Environment Agency are responsible for managing the primary river channels designated by DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) as 'Main River'
• All other watercourses - Environmental Services within Environmental Services at Charnwood Borough Council manage all other ordinary watercourses including ditches and drainage channels
• Foul and surface water sewer networks - Severn Trent Water Limited are responsible for all public sewers in this area and property owners can be responsible for other drainage

Main Rivers managed by the Environment Agency

Barkby Brook, Syston	Black Brook. Loughborough	Burleigh Brook, Loughborough	Fishpool Brook, Barrow upon Soar
Grammer School Brook, Loughborough	Moat Brook, Loughborough	Poultney Brook, Quorn	Rearsby Brook
Rothley Brook	Shortcliffe Brook, Loughborough	Sileby Brook	River Soar
Thrussington Dyke	Willow Brook, Loughborough	River Wreake	Wood Brook, Loughborough

We can also provide advice to the public on:

• The Land Drainage Byelaws
• Watercourse Management
• Riparian Ownership
• All watercourse flooding emergency assistance to the public and businesses

Policy Statement On Flood Defence

The Council has agreed with the Environment Agency that there are 25 km of critical ordinary watercourses within the Borough, i.e. watercourses which are not classified as main river, but which both parties have agreed to be critical because they have the potential to put at risk from flooding large numbers of people and property

A Policy Statement has been prepared by Charnwood Borough Council to provide a public statement of the Council's approach to flood defence in its area.

Statutory (legal) control

The Council as an Operating Authority has powers, which it exercises, under the Land Drainage Act 1991 to mitigate the effect of flood flows on ordinary watercourses by undertaking maintenance and improvement works, but generally it is not responsible for the maintenance of banks.

The Council has also introduced Land Drainage Byelaws, which pertain to all ordinary watercourses in the Council's operating area for the purpose of preventing flooding, remedying or mitigating any damage caused by flooding.

Project Appraisal Reports

Project Appraisal Reports for Anstey, Syston and Queniborough are available for viewing.

This service is managed by Engineering Section a section of Environmental Services in Leisure & Environmental Services.