The Environment Select Committee was scheduled to meet to review the progress of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024-2030, and to receive an update from Thames Water on flood risk management in the borough. The committee was also scheduled to confirm the minutes of their previous meeting. As this was a public meeting, 72 seconds of silence were scheduled to be observed in remembrance of the victims of the Grenfell tragedy¹.

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024-2030

The committee was scheduled to review the progress made against the actions set out in the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2024-2030. The strategy is built around four key themes:

• Flood Resilient Communities
• Adaptive Places
• Working Together
• Monitoring and review

The report pack included a summary of the progress made against each of these themes.

Flood Resilient Communities

The Flood Resilient Communities theme focuses on increasing the resilience of communities most vulnerable to flooding through education, resources, and support. Some of the actions that have been completed under this theme include:

• Reviewing and updating the flooding page on the council's website annually.
• Publishing a householder guide for property flood resilience.
• Publishing information on local flood risk and climate change adaptation for the Boroughs' schools.
• Visiting schools in the Borough to talk about climate adaptation and flood risk.
• Publishing communications to highlight risk of flooding and positive actions that residents can take.
• Supporting the delivery of Community Resilience Workshops and associated events with community organisations and faith groups.
• Maintaining a flash flood warning system and exploring options to incrementally expand the distribution of warnings.
• Supporting the formation of Flood Action Group(s) within the Borough.
• Multi-Agency Flood Plan review and update.
• Carrying out formal Flood Investigation following any significant flooding in the Borough as defined in Section 2.2 of the Strategy and publish the report.
• Continuing to engage with and work alongside regional partners to ensure that residents and business in the Borough can access affordable flood insurance.
• Working alongside Housing colleagues, Registered Providers, utility companies and other organisations to continue to identify and collaborate on supporting vulnerable residents at risk of flooding.
• Working alongside other organisations to support communities recovering from flooding.

According to the report pack, one of the key actions that has been delivered is the formation of the council's first Flood Action Group since the flooding in July 2021. The Portobello Flood Action Group was first formed in summer 2024 with the support of the council and the National Flood Forum as part of the London Community Flood Action Programme.

The report pack also stated that an addendum report had been commissioned by the council to ensure that the published Flood Investigation is an accurate representation of the true magnitude of the floods.

Adaptive Places

The Adaptive Places theme aims to develop infrastructure and spaces that can respond to extreme weather and reduce flood risk. Some of the actions that have been completed under this theme include:

• Completing an opportunity appraisal for delivering retrofit SuDS² across council infrastructure.
• Continuing to deliver SuDS retrofit schemes on council land to reduce the amount of impermeable surface currently directly connected to the sewer network.
• Developing and delivering a Natural Flood Management (NFM) project in Holland Park to slow the flow of water.
• Developing and delivering a project to slow the flow of water from Little Wormwood Scrubs.
• Reviewing opportunities to deliver retrofit SuDS, such as permeable paving and SuDS tree pits, as part of coordinated highways maintenance and utility replacement works.
• Supporting schools in installing rainwater planters on accessible downpipes.
• Responding to all major planning applications to ensure compliance with local planning policies.
• Ensuring that surface water drainage and flood risk are incorporated into any future updates to planning policies.
• Ensuring that climate adaptation, surface water management and flood risk are included in any relevant supplementary planning documents, design codes or placemaking frameworks.
• More sustainable SuDS to be included in minor and householder applications.
• Responding to consultations regarding the implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act.
• Carrying out new duties as and when Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act is implemented.
• Reviewing the formation of the highway at key locations to identify whether modifications to kerbs can alter flow paths.
• Including climate adaptation and sustainable drainage in the scope for all place making and streetscape improvement schemes.
• Reviewing the gully cleansing schedule and identify where additional or fewer cleansing visits are required.
• Investing in flood defence raising where required, or allow for future raising in designs, on Council-owned land where opportunities arise over the duration of this Strategy. Defence raising should be aligned with wider environmental objectives.

The report pack notes that the new Local Plan for RBKC was adopted in July 2024 and includes strengthened policies on flood risk management (Policy GB11) and sustainable drainage (Policy GB12).

Working Together

The Working Together theme emphasises the importance of partnership across the council, other responsible authorities and community groups. Some of the actions that have been completed under this theme include:

• Actively participating in North Central Partnership meetings with adjacent London boroughs
• Maintaining regional presence on groups that consider climate adaptation, surface water and flood risk matters
• Maintaining representation on London Surface Water Strategic Group and supporting officers group.
• Supporting the work of other organisations and Risk Managements Authorities in developing and delivering schemes to reduce the risk of flooding to residents.
• Enforcing the maintenance of flood assets and drainage systems where issues have been identified.
• Continuing to work with other members of the Borough Resilience Forum (BRF) to exercise and plan for the emergency response to flooding from all sources.
• Continuing to work with other members of the London Resilience Partnership (LRP) to coordinate on the response to flooding from all sources across London.
• Improving data sharing and flood reporting between Risk Management Authorities.
• Continuing to participate in the Thames Tidal Council Forum on matters relating to flood risk management from the River Thames.
• Continuing to work with adjacent Borough on the Thames Strategies, including the Thames Strategy Kew to Chelsea to develop a consistent vision for the riverside.
• Reviewing and responding to infrastructure planning submissions from Thames Water to Ofwat to ensure that the required investment in the Borough is secured.
• Ensuring climate adaptation and flood risk management is included in future Council plans and strategies
• Holding an internal Flood Forum with representatives across the Council to discuss flood and water management.
• Environment Select Committee to continue to scrutinise the management of flood risk across the Council, as well as actions delivered by other organisations.

The report pack states that the council has worked closely since the flooding in July 2021 with partner organisations across London to collectively manage the risk of flooding and increase the efficiencies in project delivery and funding.

Monitoring and Review

The Monitoring and Review theme involves transparently monitoring evidence associated with flooding and reviewing progress against the strategy's actions. Some of the actions that have been completed under this theme include:

• Installing pilot highway gully sensors in frequent flooding locations to track the response of the highway drainage network to rainfall events.
• Monitoring the area of impermeable surface made permeable or draining to SuDS from Council schemes.
• Monitoring the area of impermeable surface made permeable or draining to SuDS from development schemes.
• Reviewing and updating Flood Asset Register to ensure that all relevant assets are captured.
• Reviewing the extent of Critical Drainage Areas following significant flooding or a review of flood risk mapping.
• Reviewing and updating flood risk mapping when more information becomes available, such as revise climate change projections.
• Updating Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for the Borough when new information becomes available or guidance changes.
• Updating this Strategy when required following an annual review.
• Reviewing progress against the actions in this action plan.

The report pack notes that in February 2025, water level sensors were installed in 16 gullies across the Borough as part of a pilot to monitor how the highway drainage network functions.

Outstanding Flood Risk Working Group Recommendations for Thames Water

The report pack also included a section on outstanding Flood Risk Working Group Recommendations for Thames Water.

Recommendation 5 stated that, Thames Water to further review with independent experts the cause of the sudden decrease in flood water on 12 July 2021, as reported by residents, around the time that the Lots Road Pumping Station was turned on and to share the findings with local communities and the Council.

Recommendation 6 states, Thames Water to complete the modernisation and improvement of Lots Road Pumping Station at pace and ahead of the scheduled timeframe of 2030 .

Thames Water Update

The committee was also scheduled to receive an update from Thames Water on its ongoing work to reduce flood risk and strengthen drainage resilience across the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Thames Water's update covered the following topics:

• Local Sewer Flooding Resilience Programme (LSFRP)
• Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) and Partnership Working
• London Surface Water Management Strategy through Flood Ready London
• Lots Road Pumping Station – Modernisation and Electrification
• Strategic Context – Drainage & Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP)
• Counters Creek Catchment – Understanding Flood Risk and Long-Term Strategy
• The Thames Tideway Tunnel – Transforming London's Sewer Network

Local Sewer Flooding Resilience Programme

According to the report pack, following the severe surface water flooding events across London in July 2021, Thames Water launched a programme to increase property-level protection and resilience to future flooding.

As part of this programme, Thames Water contacted 698 RBKC properties to assess vulnerability to sewer and surface water flooding, and fully surveyed 248 properties.

To date, Thames Water has protected 251 properties in the Borough through a combination of engineering and property-level solutions.

Sustainable Drainage and Partnership Working

Thames Water continues to work with RBKC, the GLA³ and other partners to expand SuDS delivery across London. Locally, this includes measures such as rainwater butts at high-risk homes and supporting borough projects that integrate SuDS into roads, regeneration areas and public spaces.

In direct response to the July 2021 flooding, Thames Water has been working in partnership with RBKC to deliver local Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) projects that slow the flow of rainwater entering the combined sewer network. The first of these projects, completed in January 2025 at the Allom and Barlow Estate, intercepts rainwater downpipes and diverts flows into water butts and raised planters, providing around 40 cubic metres of on-site storage.

London Surface Water Management Strategy through Flood Ready London

In 2024, Thames Water worked alongside the Greater London Authority (GLA), Transport for London (TfL), London Councils and the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (TRFCC) to help create the London Surface Water Management Strategy, a new city-wide framework for managing flood risk from heavy rainfall.

To drive delivery, a new partnership called Flood Ready London has been established to bring together London-wide stakeholders, including Thames Water and RBKC, via London Councils.

Lots Road Pumping Station – Modernisation and Electrification

The Lots Road Pumping Station is a critical asset serving much of West London's sewer network. According to the report pack, improvement works at Lots Road are being delivered in three parts:

1. Power Supply Upgrade
2. Electrification
3. Building Refurbishment

Strategic Context – Drainage & Wastewater Management Plan

Thames Water's Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP) is a statutory long-term strategy to ensure that drainage and wastewater services are resilient, sustainable, and fit for the future.

To make the process more accessible and collaborative, Thames Water is launching a new DWMP Practitioner Portal in autumn 2025.

Counters Creek Catchment – Understanding Flood Risk and Long-Term Strategy

In line with their Ofwat⁴ performance commitment, Thames Water has delivered a fully assured report on the Counters Creek catchment, which covers parts of Kensington, Hammersmith, and Westminster that were severely affected by the July 2021 storms.

The Counters Creek – Understanding Flood Risk and Long-Term Strategy report, published in June 2023, sets out Thames Water's detailed understanding of flood risk in the area, how resilient local drainage systems are, and the actions they are taking in the short, medium and long term to manage that risk.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel – Transforming London's Sewer Network

The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a once-in-a-generation project to tackle one of London's oldest environmental challenges: the regular discharge of untreated sewage into the River Thames during heavy rainfall.

The Tideway project forms the final phase of a wider Three-Part Improvement Scheme. Once operational in 2025, the Tideway system will:

• Capture and treat a further 15 million tonnes of sewage per year;
• Prevent around 250 tonnes of sewage-related debris (wipes, plastics, and solids) from reaching the river;
• Drastically reduce the risk of localised sewer surcharging and flooding in riverside boroughs, including RBKC;
• Provide significant environmental and amenity benefits to river users and residents.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2025.