Suffolk County Council is a Lead Local Flood Authority as defined in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
We are also a risk management authority with responsibilities for dealing with flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses.
The Environment Agency has a strategic overview for all flooding, as well as coastal erosion. It is the risk management authority for flooding from rivers and the sea.
Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnership
The council is responsible for coordinating a partnership to manage local flood risk with all responsible authorities, landowners and communities in Suffolk. We do this through the Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnership. This is a professional multi-agency partnership overseeing the operational delivery of flood risk management across the county.
The partnership has produced a Flood Risk Management Strategy and Flood Smart living handbook to help everyone understand and manage flood risk within Suffolk.
Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit (JEPU)
Suffolk County Council is a member of the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit (JEPU).
The JEPU is a shared service for all Suffolk local authorities (County, District and Borough) to prepare for emergencies including major flooding events.
It acts as a focal point for local authorities when dealing with the Emergency Services and other agencies during a major incident as part of the Suffolk Resilience Forum.