Flooding Toolkit

In the event of your property flooding, the priority is to keep yourself and your family safe. Contact the Emergency Services where necessary.

This toolkit is created to complement the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) – Flood Toolkit.

Cherwell District Council's Roles and responsibilities

We are able to assist with flood risk management issues prior to and after a flood event. In the event of danger to life during a flood, please contact the Emergency Services on 999. For assistance with live flooding issues, please contact Oxfordshire County Council Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA).

Before a flood	During a flood	After a flood
Support riparian owners to undertake their responsibilities to maintain watercourses	Maintain road signs put out by the highway authority	Undertake Section 19 investigations on behalf of the County Council into the causes and impact of the flooding.
Discharge the council’s power to issue ordinary watercourse consents under the land drainage act.	Keep priority roads open, protecting services	May be able to assist with the removal of bulky items that have been damaged during a flood. Please visit the website for further information.
Work with risk management authorities to provide proactive flood management advice.	Open and support reception centres for evacuated residents	Investigate the feasibility of schemes to protect from future flooding of properties that has occurred.
Carry out flood risk management works on minor watercourses	Support multi-agency responses at tactical and strategic level	Work with risk management authorities to provide reactive flood management advice.

What Cherwell District Council can’t do

Provide sandbags to residential or business properties that are flooding. Sandbags are prioritised for use by emergency services, keeping priority roads open, protecting services such as care homes, hospitals or schools, and supporting recognised flood support groups. We can provide support to residents and businesses in obtaining Property Level Protection against flooding.
Provide emergency responses during times of impending or actual flooding. We are not trained emergency responders. Please contact the emergency services if you are flooding and require immediate assistance.
Offer compensation or pay for repairs to property damaged by flooding. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer compensation. You should contact your insurance company if your property has been damaged.

Riparian Responsibilities

Riparian landowners are landowners who are legally responsible for the maintenance of the watercourses, rivers, culverts and ditches which flow through or immediately adjacent to their property.

For more information, please see OCC's Riparian Ownership and Flood Risk information leaflet.

Parish’s Roles and Responsibilities

Before	During
Join (or form) a flood action group Work in collaboration with Cherwell District Council (CDC) and OCC to address flood risk issues in the local area Sign up to the Environment Agency’s flood warning system Write a Community Emergency Plan – ensure a clear structure is put in place with clear responsibilities assigned Create emergency contact lists Monitoring local watercourses Participate in public consultations Identify areas at higher risk of flooding and implement measures that might prevent or reduce flooding/damage Recruit and train up flood wardens Assist and support residents that need to sign up to the Priority Service Register Lists with Utility Companies Ensure community engagement, collaboration and information sharing e.g. WhatsApp groups	Have available, safe, flood free locations that are heated and supplied with everyday essentials Support vulnerable people as a point of contact, providing safe spaces for them to go. Record/photograph how and why flooding has occurred.

Before

During

Join (or form) a flood action group
Work in collaboration with Cherwell District Council (CDC) and OCC to address flood risk issues in the local area
Sign up to the Environment Agency’s flood warning system
Write a Community Emergency Plan – ensure a clear structure is put in place with clear responsibilities assigned
Create emergency contact lists
Monitoring local watercourses
Participate in public consultations
Identify areas at higher risk of flooding and implement measures that might prevent or reduce flooding/damage
Recruit and train up flood wardens
Assist and support residents that need to sign up to the Priority Service Register Lists with Utility Companies
Ensure community engagement, collaboration and information sharing e.g. WhatsApp groups

Have available, safe, flood free locations that are heated and supplied with everyday essentials
Support vulnerable people as a point of contact, providing safe spaces for them to go.
Record/photograph how and why flooding has occurred.