Urban pluvial flooding: a qualitative case study of cause, effect and nonstructural mitigation

Historically, flood risk management in the United Kingdom has mainly concentrated on river and coastal flooding, yet flooding from surface water runoff is a risk to urban areas. A comprehensive study of the causes, the impact and the consequences as well as the management of serious pluvial flooding in Heywood, Greater Manchester, in 2004 and 2006 revealed that the victims of the floods were unprepared, ill-informed and confused as to responsibilities before, during and after the event. Householders had to rely on their insurers for loss mitigation, but the response of the insurance industry was varied and inconsistent, and there were difficulties in building in resilience after the event. In 2006, only one property was on the Office of the Water Regulator DG 5 Register on the basis of previous flooding. Thus the area falls between the responsibilities of the Local Authority (LA), the Environment Agency and the water utility. The people affected do not know whom to turn to for assistance. A way forward may be through the establishment of an overriding agency to provide a coherent voice and strategic guidance, supported by dedicated flooding experts within LA planning departments, the adaptation of buildings for flood resilience and through changes within the insurance industry.