Update from Lancashire CC regarding flooding in Inskip and Catforth

December 14th, 2023

Our current records of the flooding in Lancashire during 23 and 24 July 2023 include the impacts to 84 properties, 20 of which, were internally flooded homes. We have notified interested parties that our investigation has been triggered under duties set out in Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. This investigation is underway and includes gathering information on which flood risk management authorities had or still have functions to deliver in regard to the event, and then publishing a report into our investigations. The precise requirement of that duty means that we have to allow a sufficient period of time for the risk management authorities to identify whether their functions have been required and, if so, what actions they are taking. In view of this, the Section 19 investigation is not a fast process unfortunately, and we do not anticipate completing it until next year.

In the meantime, we recommend that affected residents take steps to protect their property from flooding. They can find professional advice on what options would best suit their individual circumstances from a number of reliable sources. These include:

safetrader.org.uk – this is the county council-sponsored directory of firms and traders who have signed up to a code of conduct.
bluepages.org.uk – this is an independent directory of flood and water-related services
facebook.com/floodadvisoryservice and nationalfloodforum.org.uk – these two charitable organisations offer advice and support to homeowners at risk of flooding.

There is also useful information on our website: Flooding – Lancashire County Council. As I am sure you are aware, the fastest and most efficient way to report highways issues like flooding is by using the Love Clean Streets App, constituents can download it from Apple Store or the Google Play Store. For Highways emergencies after 5pm (Monday to Friday), or over the weekend, please call: 0300 123 6780.