Policy paper

The Medway Flood Partnership: objectives, members and action plan

Updated 1 June 2022

© Crown copyright 2022

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-river-medway-partnership-objectives-members-and-action-plan/the-river-medway-partnership-objectives-members-and-action-plan

Background

Reducing the risk of flooding in the Medway catchment is a complex problem that can only be solved by working in partnership. There is a wide variety of work to do in the catchment to help manage the risk of flooding, including investing in new and improved traditional engineered flood defences, natural flood management measures that slow and store floodwater, and community resilience and preparedness measures that reduce the impact of flooding on communities.

The Medway Flood Partnership was established in January 2017 and brings together local partners, national agencies, non-governmental organisations and community representatives to develop and produce a Medway Flood Action Plan. The Defra Minister, Dr Thérèse Coffey MP, announced her support for the partnership in parliament on 22 November 2016.

The partnership will focus on reducing the risk of flooding from non-tidal rivers and surface water in the Medway catchment. This includes all the land draining into the rivers Medway, Beult, Teise and Eden as well as their tributaries.

Partnership objectives

The partnership aims to;

  • investigate the strategic challenges and opportunities within the Medway Catchment
  • produce a shared action plan for the next 5 to 10 years, and a 25 year vision for the future
  • adopt a joined-up approach to communications and engagement for communities, local partners and government
  • broker strategic solutions to the problems identified through the partnership
  • identify the inter-relationships between projects and ensure coordination

Partnership members

  • Country Land and Business Association
  • Forestry Commission
  • Kent Association of Local Councils
  • Maidstone Borough Council
  • Natural England
  • Environment Agency
  • Joint Parish Flood Group
  • Kent County Council
  • National Farmers Union
  • Sevenoaks District Council
  • South East Rivers Trust
  • Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
  • Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board
  • Southern Water
  • Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Medway Flood Action Plan

On 1 December 2017 the Partnership launched the Medway Flood Action Plan, which sets out the partnership’s shared activities to reduce flood risk in the catchment over the next 5 years, and a vision for the next 25 years.

Download the Medway Flood Action Plan (PDF, 521KB).

Together the partnership is looking at where we can build defences to better protect communities as well as where they can slow the flow of floodwaters and reduce flood levels through natural flood management. Where it is not possible to prevent flooding, they are working with local communities to help them be better prepared and resilient to flooding so that they can recover more quickly after a flood.

Next steps

Over the past year, the Partnership has been working hard to deliver the actions within the Medway Flood Action Plan. You can see a report on their progress in the Medway Flood Action Plan End of Year 1 Report.

Download the Medway Flood Action Plan End of Year 1 Report.

While this flood action plan is a significant milestone in addressing flood risk in the Medway catchment, it is part of a longer journey with the partnership, communities and with individuals to build awareness and preparedness for flooding, and identify and develop more actions which can help to reduce flood levels.

In the coming years, the partnership will continue to work with communities to develop this plan further and consider the 25-year vision and the pathway to getting there.

The action plan is a ‘living document’ that will be regularly monitored and reviewed by the Medway Flood Partnership to make sure that actions are delivered and new information and ideas are incorporated. All members are committed to its delivery and embedding an integrated approach to flood risk management into their organisations.

Medway catchment projects

Currently there are 4 projects that are being worked on in the River Medway catchment. They are:

  • Middle Medway Flood Resilience Scheme
  • Enhanced Leigh and Hildenborough
  • East Peckham Flood Alleviation Scheme
  • Improving the River Beult SSSI for People and Wildlife

Improving the River Beult SSSI

You can download the non-technical summary and technical report here:

If you have any questions or would like to request more information please email: KSLE@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Back to top