Buckinghamshire Council Land Drainage Enforcement Policy

Last updated: 21 June 2022

1. Introduction

The enforcement policy below makes reference to appendices 4 to 15, which outline the relevant process that the Strategic Flood Management team follows for each reported or discovered impediment.

These are for internal use, however, you can request the relevant appendix via [email protected]

Buckinghamshire Council (BC) has permissive enforcement powers in its capacity as the Lead Local Flood Authority under Sections 24 and 25 of the Land Drainage Act (LDA) 1991 as amended by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. These powers are to be used to ensure free passage of water along ordinary watercourses in the County by prohibiting the erection or alteration of an obstruction which impedes the flow of an ordinary watercourse, this includes overgrown vegetation due to lack of maintenance.

This document sets out BC’s enforcement policy: its purpose; legal powers; the details of the policy; and how it should be interpreted and implemented.