What Is a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA)?
Lead Local Flood Authorities manage surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourse flooding, serving as key planning consultees for SuDS and drainage strategies.
What Is a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA)?
Lead Local Flood Authorities, or LLFAs as they are commonly called, were established under the Flood and Water Management Act in 2010. They are required to “develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management in its area.”
What Does a Lead Local Flood Authority Do?
The Lead Local Flood Authorities are responsible for reducing the risk of flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. The LLFA is responsible for investigating, mitigating and planning for flooding that does not come from statutory main rivers or reservoirs.
Broadly, LLFAs must:
- Maintain a public register of flood risk management assets
- Undertake a coordinated approach to the management of surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses
- Investigate and record flood incidents
- Respond to major planning applications in relation to sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)
Develop a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy
The local flood risk management strategy must address risk management authorities, flood and coastal erosion risk management functions, objectives, measures to be implemented, and funding methods. The strategy must be consistent with national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategies for England and coordinate with key stakeholders and the public.
Investigating Flooding Incidents
LLFAs have a duty under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) to record and investigate significant flooding events. Each authority determines what constitutes “significant” locally, though investigations typically occur when:
- Five or more dwellings (urban) or two or more dwellings (rural) experience internal property flooding
- Loss of life occurs
- Critical infrastructure is affected for significant periods
The LLFA and SuDS
The 2010 Act assigned sustainable drainage responsibility to LLFAs, district councils, Internal Drainage Boards, and highway authorities. In practice, LLFAs often coordinate and manage SuDS implementation.
LLFAs and Your Development
The LLFA serves as a significant planning consultee. Developments must mitigate surface water runoff to agreed standards and consider the SuDS hierarchy. Early engagement with LLFAs helps identify requirements and plan integration within development designs.