Managing flood risks

Our responsibilities

As a lead local flood authority for the borough of Croydon, we are responsible for managing local flood risks from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. However, the Environment Agency maintains a national overview and lead on flood risk from main rivers, coasts and reservoirs.

Please see the related documents below.

Check for flooding near you

You can check if there is a risk of flooding in your area on the GOV.UK website.

Local flood risk management strategy

The Flood and Water Management Act requires Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management in its area (a “local flood risk management strategy”). Similarly, the Environment Agency is required to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England (a “national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy”).

The strategy must specify:
 

(a)  the risk management authorities in the authority’s area,

(b)  the flood and coastal erosion risk management functions that may be exercised by those authorities in relation to the area,

(c)  the objectives for managing local flood risk (including any objectives included in the authority’s flood risk management plan prepared in accordance with the Flood Risk Regulations 2009),

(d) the measures proposed to achieve those objectives,

(e) how and when the measures are expected to be implemented,

(f)  the costs and benefits of those measures, and how they are to be paid for,

(g) the assessment of local flood risk for the purpose of the strategy,

(h) how and when the strategy is to be reviewed, and

(i)  how the strategy contributes to the achievement of wider environmental objectives.

Following a formal public consultation which ended in August 2023, the LFRMS was adopted by the Council in January 2024. The strategy and its supporting documents can be viewed or downloaded using the links below.

The strategy and associated documents are expected to be reviewed and updated regularly.  Our strategy and supporting assessments are due to be reviewed and updated in 2028. However, the Action Plan is reviewed and updated quarterly at the Council’s Internal Flood Group meetings.

Strategic flood risk assessment

The strategic flood risk assessment (SFRA) process provides information on flood risk. For more information see Croydon’s strategic flood risk assessment.

Your responsibility

Property owners and residents

As a householder or business, it is your responsibility to look after your property, including protecting it from flooding. Whilst in some circumstances other organisations or property owners may be liable, there will be many occasions when flooding occurs despite all parties meeting their responsibilities. It is important that householders and businesses, whose properties are at risk of flooding, take steps to ensure that their home is protected.

Visit the Environment Agency website for advice on how to protect or prepare your property for flooding.

Owners of land or property near a watercourse

If you own land or a property that has a watercourse running through it or you live adjacent to a watercourse you are a 'riparian owner'. As a riparian owner you have certain legal rights and responsibilities to maintain the watercourse.

Where a watercourse marks the boundary between adjoining properties or land, it is normally presumed that the riparian owner owns the land up to the centre line of the watercourse.

Riparian owners can download a copy of the ‘Living on the Edge’ - guidance document from the Environment Agency website. Or read the Riparian owners leaflet (PDF, 426KB).

If you wish to undertake any temporary or permanent works in or adjacent to a watercourse you will need consent. Visit our ordinary watercourse management webpage for more information.

Met Office guidance

Met Office - protecting property from flooding guidance