A new strategy to combat flooding and boost climate resilience across West Sussex has been unveiled by the County Council.
A new strategy to combat flooding and boost climate resilience across West Sussex has been unveiled by the County Council.
The updated Local Flood Risk Management Strategy sets out how West Sussex County Council will work closely with partner agencies — including district and borough councils, the Environment Agency, water companies, and local communities — to reduce the risk and impact of flooding.
With extreme weather events becoming more frequent due to climate change, the council says the plan aims to strengthen local defences, protect communities, and better prepare for future challenges.
Key areas of focus in the strategy include:
- Improved data sharing and flood risk mapping with agencies involved in water management
- Helping communities build local resilience to surface water, groundwater, and watercourse flooding
- Promoting sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in new developments to manage excess surface water
- Adopting a catchment-based approach that aligns with national flood risk strategies
- Supporting nature-based solutions to slow and store water naturally in the landscape
Councillor Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change, said: “The rapid pace of climate change means that the likelihood and severity of flooding is increasing. As well as excess surface water after heavy rain, here in West Sussex we have multiple sources of flood risk from rivers, watercourses and the sea.
“It is important that we balance our need to protect property and infrastructure from flooding with our responsibility to protect and maintain our local environment.
“Water does not respect administrative boundaries or organisational structures, which makes flood risk management a complex business. We are working in partnership with all the organisations that have a role in water management in West Sussex to manage the risk of flooding and reduce its impacts on our communities.”
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