Defra funds development of guidance on the preparation of Surface Water Management Plans (SWMPs)
 In response to the Pitt review of the summer of 2007 flooding, the Government (Defra) is funding the development of guidance on the preparation of Surface Water Management Plans (SWMPs). A SWMP is a framework to help key local partners with responsibility for surface water and drainage to work together to understand the causes of surface water flooding, and agree the optimum way of managing the flood risk in their area. The guidance is being developed and tested through pilot studies, and a second suite of six studies including Warrington has started.
A SWMP facilitates an integrated, risk-based approach to mitigating the effects of surface water flooding and thus has many similarities to the Sewerage Risk Management approach developed for sewer systems by WRc in 2008. Hence, WRc is supporting Warrington Borough Council in preparing its First Edition SWMP in conjunction with United Utilities and the Environment Agency.
Parts of Warrington currently suffer flooding from a combination of urban surface sources – local watercourses, sewers and roads. To achieve an optimum solution requires cooperation between all parties to understand the problems and consider the views of different stakeholders. The project will make a start at addressing the flooding problem in parts of the Authority’s area, and develop and test suitable integrated approaches.
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