Decision details

Cabinet considered the report of the head of development and regeneration.  This set out a request from Oxfordshire County Council for Vale of White Horse District Council to act as its agent to operate and manage the responsibilities of the lead local flood authority within the Vale district.  The functions the county council was looking to discharge were:

·       local flood investigations

·       the determination of applications for consent to alter a watercourse

·       investigation of any nuisance caused by erecting or altering an obstruction or culvert in a watercourse

·       enforcement action to comply with county council policy for watercourse/ditch clearing enforcement

The Cabinet member reported that this work was already being carried out by this council’s staff.  The proposal was to regularise this arrangement.  The work would be fully funded by the county council.  Cabinet members supported the proposal. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       support the request from Oxfordshire County Council for Vale of White Horse District Council to adopt powers under the Land Drainage Act, as set out in paragraph 8 of the head of development and corporate landlord’s report to Cabinet on 30 September 2022;

(b)       subject to Council approving the adoption of powers in (c) below, that Cabinet authorises the head of development and corporate landlord, in consultation with the head of legal and democratic, to negotiate and finalise the agreement with Oxfordshire County Council and enter into agreement to adopt the powers from Oxfordshire County Council;

RECOMMENDED to Council to:

(c)        to approve the adoption of powers under an agency agreement with Oxfordshire County Council.