Purpose

£150,000 of Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) funding from the Environment Agency has been allocated to Bristol City Council (BCC). This is to develop a programme of works to provide improvements to priority debris screens in the city. A debris screen is a flood risk asset often found in open channel sections of watercourses at the point where it flows below ground into pipes and culverts. The screen is designed to catch waste and debris to prevent internal blockages and flooding problems occurring. There are debris screens in Bristol that need replacing and those that pose the greatest risk will be prioritised. This project will devise a means of bringing seven debris screens back up to a suitable condition, in line with current standards and specifications, so that they perform their intended function effectively. BCC will utilise their Strategic Partnership to provide detailed engineering designs, develop the business case, and identify funding mechanisms to enable their construction.

Decision

Approval to accept the FDGiA funding made available to find a suitable way forward in making important upgrades to those existing debris screens that require the most immediate attention.

Alternative options considered

Without finding an appropriate way to replace these flood risk assets they will continue to deteriorate and could lead to potential failure. This could result in properties and highways becoming flooded which could pose a risk to life, as well as creating costly damages.