Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA)
The Flood and Water Management Act (FWMA) 2010 introduces a range of new powers, duties and responsibilities and makes Knowsley Council a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 sets out the requirement for LLFAs to manage 'local' flood risk within their area. 'Local' flood risk refers to the flood risk from surface water, groundwater and/or from ordinary watercourses. (An ordinary watercourse is any river, stream or channel which is not identified on the Environment Agency Flood Map as a Main River). Flooding from Main Rivers, the sea and large reservoirs is managed by the Environment Agency.
Our responsibilities
We have produced a number of strategies for assessing local flood risk, as required by the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 and the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
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- We have a duty to investigate and record all incidents of ‘significant’ flooding.
- We have a duty to maintain a register of assets; these are physical features that have a significant effect on flooding in their area. The asset register can be viewed in person upon appointment at Huyton Municipal Building by using the contact details below.
- We issue consents for altering, removing or replacing certain structures or features on ordinary watercourses. Application details are shown below.
- We are a statutory consultee for all major planning applications and provide a substantive response on all surface water drainage proposals.
We are working with our partners to promote Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) as part of new developments and have produced a guidance document for developers.
Who we are working with
- The Environment Agency manage the risk of flooding from main rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and the sea.
- United Utilities operates and maintains the condition of sewerage systems including foul, surface water and combined systems.
- The Merseyside Partnership (Liverpool CC, Sefton MBC and Wirral MBC)
- Knowsley MBC’s Highway Authority
- Other neighbouring authorities
- Local Flood Action Groups
- Riparian Owners - Maintaining the river bed and banks within their section of the watercourse. A riparian owner is anyone who has a watercourse within or adjacent to any boundary of their property.
Other responsibilities
See ‘Managing flood risks – who is responsible’ for more information on specific flood risk management responsibilities.
Apply for Ordinary Watercourse Consent
If you own land or property alongside a river or other watercourse, find out about your rights and responsibilities here.
See our Ordinary Watercourse Consent document for more guidance.
Ensure you are flood-ready
Flooding can have devastating impacts, and it’s vital that you are prepared.
The North West Regional Flooding Resource website will help you understand more about flooding and provide you with practical advice about what to do before, during and after a flood.
Be prepared and keep up to date with the latest flood warnings from the Environment Agency and Met Office.
- Find out if you're at risk of flooding here
- 5-day flood risk for England and Wales information can be found here
- River and sea levels in England information can be found here
The Flood Hub
The Flood Hub has been designed to be a one stop shop for flood information and resources to support householders, businesses and communities across the North West in becoming more flood resilient.
We have pulled together multiple sources of guidance to produce a hub of information that gives an overview of flood resilience and its many related topics. By signposting a variety of other useful sources, you will easily be able to find all the information you need either within our content or by visiting one of the linked websites.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the role of the Lead Local Flood Authority in Knowsley, contact us at LLFA@knowsley.gov.uk.
Emergency assistance
For emergency assistance during a flooding event, please telephone 0800 0232334 or email knowsley.highways@tarmac.com.