This meeting of the Scrutiny Committee considered two key topics, a report on the management of flood risks in Sutton and a report on how the Council engages with residents.

Flood Risk Management

The Committee received a report on Flood Risk Management in the Borough. The report was provided by James Lester, a Senior Flood Risk Engineer at Sutton Council.

The report noted that there are 1866 properties in Sutton that are at risk of flooding, and that the Council is currently undertaking a statutory investigation into flooding that took place on 23 September 2024. The investigation, once complete, will set out which Risk Management Authorities have responsibility for managing flood risks, and what they did or are proposing to do to mitigate flood risks in the future.

The report provided an update on the progress of flood alleviation schemes being delivered in partnership with other organisations, including the Environment Agency and Thames Water. One of the schemes, the Cuddington Recreation Ground flood alleviation scheme in Worcester Park, is expected to be submitted for planning permission in late 2024.

Another scheme, the Beddington Area Scheme, has been deemed unviable due to a lack of space to deliver a scheme that would reduce flood risk to a significant number of properties.

Resident Engagement

The Committee also considered a report about resident engagement which asked how can the Council improve the ways that residents are engaged in plans and decision making?. The report, presented by Councillor Sam Martin, provided an overview of different resident engagement methods that have been used by other local authorities, and considered the different ways that the Council could improve its approach to resident engagement in Sutton in the future.

The report noted that the Council’s current methods of engagement include:

• Six local committees, typically attended by members of the public who are already active in their local communities, such as leaders of residents associations or friends of parks groups
• Formal statutory consultations
• Informal surveys
• Digital engagement
• Proactive outreach at local community events
• Targeted engagement with specific groups, for example young people
• Co-production approaches, for example focus groups, working groups and workshops

The report considered the limitations of formal consultations and surveys, stating that;

“The data insights set out in appendix C indicate that formal consultations and surveys may not be the best way to engage a representative cohort of residents, and the Council could consider utilising alternative methods of engagement, including proactive outreach at community events and the co-production or co-development of plans where this is deemed appropriate.”