Consultation on improving surface water drainage
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Area 2D Ergon House
Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AL
Telephone: 020 7238 6000
Web: www.defra.gov.uk
7 February 2008
Dear Consultee
Consultation on improving surface water drainage
1. I am writing to invite views on a new consultation that Defra is issuing today on Improving Surface Water Drainage. This consultation develops some of the key policy proposals set out in the Government's new Water Strategy, Future Water.1 The strategy sets out a vision for more effective drainage of surface water, in order to resolve existing problems and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The floods last summer brought into sharp focus the real damage that surface water flooding can cause. The interim report from the Pitt Review on lessons learned has urged early action to improve the way that surface water is managed, particularly in high risk areas.
2. In line with Sir Michael Pitt’s initial conclusions, this consultation considers policy measures to improve the way that surface water runoff is managed. In particular, it proposes:
(1) using Surface Water Management Plans as a tool to improve co-ordination between stakeholders involved in drainage and local management of flood risk;
(2) increasing uptake of sustainable drainage systems by clarifying responsibilities for adoption and management; and
(3) reviewing the ability for premises to connect surface water drainage automatically into the public sewer system (Section 106 of Water Industry Act 1991).
3. A copy of this letter, the consultation document, and a list of organisations approached as part of this consultation are also available from Defra’s website.2 We welcome your views and comments on the proposals.
4. To support this consultation, a stakeholder consultation event is scheduled for Thursday 10 April 2008 at Defra’s Innovation Centre in Reading - further details will be available shortly. In the meantime, you can pre-register for the event by sending an email with “Consultation Event Pre-Registration” in the header and your contact details (including job title and organisation) to surfacewaterdrainage@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Responses
5. Responses to the consultation should be sent via email to: surfacewaterdrainage@defra.gsi.gov.uk and should be received by Wednesday 30 April 2008.
Responses can also be sent by post to:
Surface Water Drainage Consultation
Defra
Ergon House
Area 2D
Horseferry Road
London, SW1P 2AL.
6. In line with Defra's policy of openness, at the end of the consultation period copies of the responses we receive will be made publicly available through the Defra Information Resource Centre, Lower Ground Floor, Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AL. The information they contain will also be published in a summary of responses. The library will supply copies of consultation responses to personal callers or in response to telephone or email requests (020 7238 6575 or defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk). Wherever possible, personal callers should give the library at least 24 hour notice of their requirements. An administrative charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage costs.
7. If you do not consent to this, you must clearly request that your response be treated confidentially. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system in email responses will not be treated as such a request. You should also be aware that there may be circumstances in which Defra will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations.
8. This consultation paper has been produced in accordance with the Better Regulation Executive Guidance on written consultation.3 This includes:
- Consult widely throughout the process, allowing a minimum of 12 weeks for written consultation at least once during the development of the policy
- Be clear about what your proposals are, who may be affected, what questions are being asked and the timescale for responses
- Ensure that your consultation is clear, concise and widely accessible
- Give feedback regarding the responses received and how the consultation process influenced the policy
- Monitor your department’s effectiveness at consultation , including through the use of the designated consultation co-ordinator
- Ensure your consultation follows better regulation best practice, including carrying out a Regulatory Impact Assessment if appropriate
9. If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, as opposed to the issues covered in the consultation paper, please address them to Marjorie Addo, Defra Consultation Co-ordinator, Area 7B Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR, or via email consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Related consultation
10. You may also be interested in a draft of the statutory Social and Environmental Guidance to the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat), which Defra has issued for consultation today.4 This provides a strategic steer on the Government's expectations of Ofwat in areas of key social and environmental policy. In reflecting the policies set out in Future Water, it is one of the means by which the Strategy's priorities can begin to be delivered. Following the consultation it will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny as set out in the Water Industry Act 1991 as amended by the Water Act 2003.
Yours sincerely
Chris de Grouchy
Flood Management Division
Page published: 7 February 2008