Watercourse Management

Charnwood Borough Council Manages Its Watercourses in Two Ways:

1. Routine Control and Maintenance Activities, Including Use of Our Legal Powers and Responsibilities

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

Routine maintenance and upkeep of watercourses is the responsibility of riparian owners. For some district watercourses, this means Charnwood Borough Council.

To maintain our watercourses, we use the Councils Engineering Services to clear, dredge and maintainwatercourses in important areas.

The Councils Engineering Services routinely clears grillages, which protect piped watercourses or culverts, to mitigate the effects of blockages which can cause flooding.

The Environment Agency manages and polices the main rivers, also undertaking its own clearance and maintenance activities.

The Councils byelaws allow officers to enforce the maintenance of watercourses

The following watercourses are designated as 'Main River' and are managed by the Environment Agency:

• Barkby Brook
• Black Brook
• Burleigh Brook
• Fishpool Brook
• Grammer School Brook
• Moat Brook
• Poultney Brook
• Rearsby Brook
• River Soar
• River Wreake
• Rothley Brook
• Shortcliffe Brook
• Sileby Brook
• Thrussington Dyke
• Willow Brook
• Wood Brook

2. Strategic Drainage Activities, Which Are Often Project Based

The Council manages its watercourses in two ways. One of these ways is by carrying out specific projects to protect areas that have been identified as being particularly prone to flooding. Each project is subject to a feasibility study which, if it meets certain criteria, will lead to full project appraisal. This will identify a cost effective solution that can be progressed to an acceptable flood alleviation scheme.

Completed Project Appraisals

These reports may take some time to download on a dial up connection.

• Project Appraisal Report for Anstey (PDF Document 869.38 Kb.)
• Project Appraisal Report for Syston (PDF Document 3.36 Mb.)
• Project Appraisal Report for Queniborough (PDF Document 739.03 Kb.)

Recently Completed Projects Include the Following:

• Flood relief works at Syston (£¾m to date)
• Flood relief walls at Barrow upon Soar
• Flood relief culvert at Leicester Rd, Quorn
• Flood relief culvert at Bradgate Rd, Newtown Linford
• Flood relief ditch at Main St, Cossington
• Improvements to Stapleford Park Culvert
• Replacement of collapsed culvert at Stapleford Park
• High-water alarms at Queniborough, Rearsby & Sileby
• Flood Alleviation Scheme in Cossington (£315,000 )
• Flood Alleviation Scheme in Sileby (£345,000 )
• Flood Alleviation Scheme in Anstey (£305,000 )

• Environmental Improvements to Barkby Brook, Syston (£75,000)

The Flood & Water Management Act 2011 has given Leicestershire County Council  the responsibility of being the Lead Local Flood Authority. As part of their new responsibility they are currently undertaking Studies/Projects which include:

• Loughborough
• Swithland