The Kent Flood Risk and Water Management Committee was scheduled to discuss a range of topics concerning flood risk and water management in Kent. Key agenda items included presentations from the Met Office, the Environment Agency, and Southern Water, alongside a report on Kent County Council's severe weather response activities.

KCC Severe Weather Response Activity Report

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on Kent County Council's (KCC) severe weather response activities between October and December 2025. The report indicated a relatively calm period with no significant flood incidents requiring major intervention from the KCC Duty Emergency Planning Officer or the wider Resilience and Emergency Planning Service. However, the report did detail the receipt of numerous alerts and warnings from agencies such as the Environment Agency and the Met Office. These included 30 flood alerts and one Flood Guidance Statement, alongside seven weather alerts for rain, ice, and wind. The Thames Barrier was also noted to have been closed on three occasions for testing purposes.

The report also highlighted three significant water supply disruption incidents during the period. One in Sevenoaks affected approximately 115 properties, another in Maidstone and Tonbridge & Malling impacted around 30 properties, including vulnerable settings like the Heart of Kent Hospice. The most substantial incident occurred in Tunbridge Wells on 29 November 2025, disrupting 24,000 properties and leading KCC to declare a Major Incident. This incident, which involved loss of supply, low pressure, and a Boil Water notice, required sustained multi-agency coordination and support from KCC to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. A Short Focussed Inquiry was planned for this and other outages in the following quarter.

Met Office - Introduction Presentation

The committee was scheduled to receive an introductory presentation from the Met Office. While the specific content of this presentation is not detailed in the provided documents, it is likely to have focused on weather forecasting and climate data relevant to flood risk management in Kent. The Met Office is the UK's national weather service, providing weather and climate advice to the public and businesses.

Environment Agency - Collaborative Works with Kent County Council

A presentation was scheduled from the Environment Agency, detailing their collaborative works with Kent County Council. The Environment Agency's roles include flood defence construction and maintenance, regulating water companies, waste management, and enforcing environmental legislation. Their 2030 strategy aims for healthy air, land, and water, nature recovery, sustainable growth, and climate resilience, working in partnership with LLFAs, KCC highways, water companies, and Internal Drainage Boards. The presentation was expected to cover their work on property-level protection, water quality, and basement plans, as well as their role in developing and delivering flood defence programmes through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs). Discussions were anticipated regarding bathing water quality, particularly in areas like Deal and Walmer where ratings had declined, and the agency's testing and resourcing capabilities.

Southern Water - Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force Presentation

Southern Water was scheduled to present on their Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force. Launched in 2021, the task force focuses on reducing storm overflow releases, lowering flood risk, and improving the environment. The presentation was expected to outline their investment plans, including £1.5 billion over the next decade for environmental improvements as part of the storm overflow reduction plan. Key areas of focus included building resilient infrastructure to cope with extreme weather, addressing urban development impacts on sewer networks, and implementing sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). The presentation was likely to detail progress on reducing storm overflow releases, with targets to reduce them to no more than 10 per year by 2027-2030. Specific areas of work in Kent, such as Faversham, Herne Bay, Queensborough, Sittingbourne, and Whitstable, were expected to be highlighted, along with the role of highway SuDS and collaborative projects like the Margate SuDS scheme.

SGN Introduction and Water Ingress into the Gas Network Presentation

The committee was also scheduled to hear an introduction from SGN (formerly Scotia Gas Networks) concerning water ingress into the gas network. This presentation would likely explain the challenges posed by water entering the gas distribution system and SGN's strategies for managing and preventing such occurrences, which can impact service reliability and safety.

Minutes of the Meeting on 29.10.2025

The minutes from the previous meeting of the Kent Flood Risk and Water Management Committee held on 29 October 2025 were scheduled for confirmation. These minutes would provide a record of the discussions and any resolutions made at that earlier meeting.