Agenda item

Considered - Report of the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The consensus of the Scrutiny Committee is that permanent pumps as proposed in the motion on notice to Council is not the best solution for flood prevention.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Cowling and seconded by Councillor Ives;

1.    That RDC commits £12,000 funding (up to a maximum of 20%) to resource a project manager to progress delivery of the Malton, Norton and Old Malton Flood Study project and drive partnership working, and seeks match funding from the partners of the Malton and Norton Project Group

2.    RDC commits £2.5k (20%) funding towards a CCTV monitoring survey to understand the drainage system in Old Malton.

3.    That Natural Flood Management (NFM) considerations should be integral to all local flood management solutions and that RDC continues to facilitate links across the various partners and interested stakeholders endorsing a whole catchment approach

4.    That RDC allocates a sum of £50,000 to a grant fund to support local flood solutions which will be allocated through Resources Working Party (similar to the arrangements for the allocation of Community Grants) where the criteria for allocation will also be agreed. Town and Parish Councils would be eligible to apply (including Malton and Brawby), as should any fully constituted community group, with any grant conditional on the preparation of a Community Resilience Plan to ensure sustainability and linkage to NYCC and other flood risk management partner organisations. Any contribution RDC makes towards a local solution involving equipment is on the basis that:

a)      The community group or parish council engage with NYCC to set up a community resilience group (CRG) with a Community Resilience Plan (CRP)

b)      The CRG undertake training and take responsibility for deploying and insuring the pump with sign off from NYCC `

c)      That the Resources Working Party make recommendations to the Policy & Resources Committee on the grant applications for this fund, and that the criteria be similar to that used for the Community Grant applications ie;

                              i.   Grant must not exceed £5000.00 or 25% of the total cost - whichever is the lowest

                             ii.   Grants up to £1000 may be 100% of the total cost.

                            iii.   In certain circumstances the above criteria may be waived if it is felt that an application will be of exceptional benefit to a community.

5.   That the above spending be funded from the New Homes Bonus Reserve

6.   That council may consider that funding be allocated from the New Homes Bonus towards the funding gap of £1.8m of the approved GiA scheme for the alleviation of flooding in Malton, Norton and Old Malton. That any contribution should be to a maximum of 20% of the funding gap.

Upon being out to the vote the amendment was carried.

Recommendation to Council

That Council be recommended to approve;

1.  That RDC commits £12,000 funding (up to a maximum of 20%) to resource a project manager to progress delivery of the Malton, Norton and Old Malton Flood Study project and drive partnership working, and seeks match funding from the partners of the Malton and Norton Project Group

2.  RDC commits £2.5k (20%) funding towards a CCTV monitoring survey to understand the drainage system in Old Malton.

3.  That Natural Flood Management (NFM) considerations should be integral to all local flood management solutions and that RDC continues to facilitate links across the various partners and interested stakeholders endorsing a whole catchment approach

4.  That RDC allocates a sum of £50,000 to a grant fund to support local flood solutions which will be allocated through Resources Working Party (similar to the arrangements for the allocation of Community Grants) where the criteria for allocation will also be agreed. Town and Parish Councils would be eligible to apply (including Malton and Brawby), as should any fully constituted community group, with any grant conditional on the preparation of a Community Resilience Plan to ensure sustainability and linkage to NYCC and other flood risk management partner organisations. Any contribution RDC makes towards a local solution involving equipment is on the basis that:

a)  The community group or parish council engage with NYCC to set up a community resilience group (CRG) with a Community Resilience Plan (CRP)

b)  The CRG undertake training and take responsibility for deploying and insuring the pump with sign off from NYCC `

c)  That the Resources Working Party make recommendations to the Policy & Resources Committee on the grant applications for this fund, and that the criteria be similar to that used for the Community Grant applications ie;

i.   Grant must not exceed £5000.00 or 25% of the total cost - whichever is the lowest

ii.  Grants up to £1000 may be 100% of the total cost.

iii.  In certain circumstances the above criteria may be waived if it is felt that an application will be of exceptional benefit to a community.

5. That the above spending be funded from the New Homes Bonus Reserve

6. That council may consider that funding be allocated from the New Homes Bonus towards the funding gap of £1.8m of the approved GiA scheme for the alleviation of flooding in Malton, Norton and Old Malton. That any contribution should be to a maximum of 20% of the funding gap.

Voting record

For 5

Against 3

Councillor P Andrews requested that his vote against the recommendation be recorded.

Members requested that a note be made that North Yorkshire National Park Authority had been successful in their recent bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.