60 Central Lancashire Local Plan Review Evidence Base: Procurement of a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)
To consider and receive the report of the Director (Business, Development and Growth).
Decision:
1. To approve the budget for the Level 1 SFRA update, including attendance of the Consultant at the Central Lancashire Local Plan Examination in Public (EIP).
2. To approve a budget to continue to retain the successful consultant to undertake potential work for a Level 2 SFRA if this is required.
3. To approve the overall procurement approach.
Minutes:
Councillor Alistair Bradley arrived at 6.50pm.
Councillor Paul Walmsley left the meeting at 6.50pm.
Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Member (Economic Development and Public Service Reform) took the Chair and presented the confidential report of the Director (Business Development and Growth). The report provides details of the procurement exercise associated with the appointment of consultants to undertake an update of the Central Lancashire Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) (2007) for the Central Lancashire Authorities, and explains the Evaluation Methodology criteria that will be used to award the contract.
Members discussed whether this would include measures to mitigate surface water run-off, such as the planted areas damaged in the moorland fires, and noted that this will be included in future reports.
Decision:
1. To approve the budget for the Level 1 SFRA update, including attendance of the Consultant at the Central Lancashire Local Plan Examination in Public (EIP).
2. To approve a budget to continue to retain the successful consultant to undertake potential work for a Level 2 SFRA if this is required.
3. To approve the overall procurement approach.
Reasons for Recommendation(s)
To ensure that the budget is fixed at a reasonable level and to ensure that Members agree with the procurement approach including potential further work.
Alternative options considered and rejected
An alternative option would be not to undertake an update of the Level 1 SFRA. However, there would be a significant risk that the Local Plan would not be able to be adopted, because it may not be considered to be “sound”. This would reduce the three Councils’ ability to ensure development in their boroughs is plan-led and appropriate.
Another alternative would be to attempt to undertake an update of the Level 1 SFRA internally. There would be a major risk that such an update review would not be able to be sufficiently detailed, given there is a lack of the required expertise available internally. If that were the case, again the Local Plan may not be found to be “sound" with its associated risks for the three authorities.