Climate change will bring increased risks of flooding in London – but how well prepared is the capital to deal with it?
The London Assembly’s Environment Committee has launched a new investigation to find out.
The Committee will focus its review on the flooding risks that most often affect the largest number of Londoners - surface water and river flooding – mapping the risks and assessing challenges.
No agency has overall responsibility for flood risk, so the investigation will review how all the relevant bodies – Environment Agency, local authorities and the GLA - are working together. The Committee will also look at the Mayor’s role.
The report from this committee is not due out till the end of the year but it is safe to predict that the report will be critical of the way the key bodies work together. That was one of the key concerns of the Pitt Review. It is absolutely vital that if the problems of flooding are to be tackled effectively there is clear leadership and a co-ordinated approach – it is far too easy for cash strapped organisations to assume someone else will handle the issues. So news that the Government has announced a £2million boost to funding to help local authorities deal with flood risk assessment is a small step in the right direction but a lot more action is needed.
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