New drainage policy aims to boost Flintshire’s flood resilience
Flintshire County Council has carried out a review of its emergency response to severe weather and flooding, identifying key lessons and improvements to strengthen future resilience.
The findings, to be presented to Cabinet on Tuesday 14 October 2025, follow a series of major flood incidents across the county in recent years, including Storm Babet and the January 2025 Oakenholt floods.
The report highlights how extreme weather has tested the capacity of local drainage infrastructure, prompting the Council to update its strategies for prevention, response, and community engagement.
Flintshire’s Chief Officer for Streetscene and Transportation said the review aims to support “continuous improvement and risk mitigation” across the county.
Flood reports and new drainage policy
Cabinet members are being asked to approve the publication of Section 19 Flood Investigation Reports for eight communities, Broughton, Bretton, Sandycroft, Mold, Pontybodkin, Pontblyddyn, and Oakenholt, as well as a new Highway Drainage Policy that sets out how the Council will manage surface water more proactively.
The policy is described as a “strategic starting point” for developing a risk-based and data-driven approach to drainage maintenance, using the Council’s new Alloy asset management system to track and inspect infrastructure.
Strengthened strategy and funding
Flintshire’s updated Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS), currently undergoing public consultation, will guide flood resilience planning for the next six years.
The strategy incorporates climate change projections and feedback from residents, businesses, and Flood Action Groups.
The Council also secured £1.36 million from Welsh Government in 2025–26 for flood resilience projects, including:
- £107,500 under the Flood & Coastal Erosion Risk Management Programme,
- £950,000 for Natural Flood Management projects, and
- £306,000 for Small Scale Works Grants.
Further resilience improvements have been carried out through the Welsh Government’s Resilient Roads Fund, with projects completed or tendered in Tan Lan, Hendre, Padeswood, Bagillt, Mostyn, and Mold.
From 2026, this funding stream will form part of the new Regional Transport Fund.
Sustainable drainage and community guidance
Flintshire County Council is responsible for checking and approving drainage systems in new housing and building developments to make sure rainwater is dealt with properly and doesn’t cause flooding. Over the past year, the Council has approved 11 new drainage systems, and one of these will now be officially taken over and maintained by the Council in the future.
Because the approval process can be complicated, the Council has worked with other North Wales councils to create a new guide explaining how drainage systems should be designed and built. The guide is there to help builders, planners and local residents understand what’s required and to avoid mistakes that could lead to flooding or drainage problems later on.
The Council has also updated its Flood Risk and Water Management web pages, offering guidance on land drainage consents, flood investigations, and sustainable drainage systems, alongside a tracker monitoring the progress of recommendations from flood reports.
Lessons learned and next steps
The report concludes that Flintshire’s new governance, staffing, and policy measures mark “significant progress” in its flood resilience programme.
Since 2023, the authority has appointed a Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Manager and four Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Officers, now handling flood investigations in-house to improve response times and coordination.
Cabinet Member for Highways, Assets and Public Protection said the measures would “help ensure Flintshire is better prepared to manage extreme weather events and support affected communities more effectively.”
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