News & Updates

The Environment Agency (EA) has recently launched a roadmap setting out practical actions to be taken over the next four years to tackle the growing threat of flooding from rivers, the sea, and surface water as well as coastal erosion.

The FCERM Strategy Roadmap builds on existing progress and sets out how we can be better prepared for the unavoidable impacts of climate change by ensuring the country is resilient and ready to respond and adapt to flooding and coastal change. The Environment Agency will be delivering the Roadmap with many partners including local authorities (e.g. Sefton Council), local drainage boards, farmers, environmental groups, infrastructure providers and the insurance sector.

Delivery of the actions in the Roadmap will:

• Ensure that new homes will be safe from flooding.
• Maximise the use of nature to enhance flood and coastal resilience while aiding nature recovery.
• Improve the flood resilience of our roads, railways, and other vital national infrastructure.
• Ensure the delivery of environmental improvements and sustainable growth as part of flood and coastal projects.
• Enhance our flood forecasting and warning services to help people be better prepared to respond to flood events.
• Support building back better to reduce the damage and disruption caused by flooding.
• Work with communities and local partners to develop long term plans to manage future flooding and coastal change and adapt to future hazards.

Sefton Council, the Environment Agency and United Utilities have signed a joint statement of intent to reassure Maghull communities that they are continuing to work together to explore solutions to reduce the risk of flooding. 

The statement strengthens the collaborative approach already undertaken to manage and reduce flood risk, further prompted by weather events in January 2021. A major incident was declared due to significant rainfall brought by Storm Christoph on Wednesday 20th January 2021 which also saw the Environment Agency issue two Severe Flood Warnings in Maghull, covering 439 properties within the flood warning area. 

The predicted flooding did not happen as expected but the incident highlighted the need for all three organisations to come together to find deliverable improvements that make a significant difference for the community. 

All three organisations have sought to manage the risks through a range of means to date including routine maintenance, capital investments, improvements to warning and informing residents as well as planning control. Alongside the statement of intent, a new flood risk working group will also be established with representation from all three agencies. 

In July 2019 Sefton Council declared a Climate Emergency. In declaring a Climate Emergency, it was agreed that: 

Sefton Council is committed to reducing carbon emissions and resolves to go further than the UK100 Agreement and to act in line with the scientific consensus that we must reduce emissions to net zero by 2030, and therefore commits to: 

• Make the Council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030. 
• Ensure that all strategic decisions are in line with a shift to zero carbon by 2030. 
• Achieve 100% clean energy across Sefton Council’s full range of functions by 2030.