Extra cash to tackle flooding in communities, strengthened partnership working and increased gully cleaning schedules are just three actions delivered and coordinated by Leicestershire County Council as it publishes a new flood investigation report.
The council and partner agencies have been boosting flood resilience since Storm Henk – including investing an extra £2m - which hit the county in January 2024 and left 500 properties flooded.
In its role as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), Leicestershire County Council has worked with partners. including the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water and the Canal and Rivers Trust. to produce the comprehensive Storm Henk Investigation Report report into the flooded areas.
The report says:
- up to 170% more rain than average hit Leicestershire in the three months prior
- Storm Henk saw a month’s worth of rain fall in just 24 hours in some areas
- six major rivers across the County reached record levels including the River Soar
Since, the council has redirected £2m to tackle flooding last autumn, with extra gully cleansing and grants for community flood initiatives funded by the extra cash.
Highways teams inspected and cleaned gullies of debris and have also reprioritised some gullies in affected areas to increase how often they are cleaned.
It has also coordinated 15 multi-agency flooding drop-in sessions since January 2024 for communities to better understand flood risk and prepare for any future events, with more sessions planned during 2026.
“This report has shown the devastation that was caused to both residents and businesses by Storm Henk, and there are many actions for partner agencies to take.
“Residents can’t be living in fear every time there’s heavy rain, so we’ve put in £2m of our own money to help tackle flooding across the county but we know it’s going to take a lot more.
“It’s also why our closer working with partners is helping to bolster our resilience to flood events – working together is the best way we can help reduce the impact of severe weather events.”
Person:Council leader, Dan Harrison
Areas including Broughton Astley, Countesthorpe, Loughborough, Quorn, Syston and Whetstone were severely affected.
“We’ve been working closer than we ever have with agencies since Henk and we’re a well-oiled machine, ready to engage and respond.
“It’s not been a case of waiting for this report before taking action. We have been working with agencies over the last two years on projects and schemes to reduce flood risk across the county using the actions plans we have developed.
“Our work will continue using the money we diverted into flood prevention but there’s more to come and we recognise that there’s still a long way to go.
“I also want to thank both partner agencies and communities for their input into the investigations. This is the largest investigation we have ever produced by some distance and it couldn’t have been possible without their help.”
Person:Councillor Adam Tilbury, cabinet member for flooding
The full report for Storm Henk can be found on the flood investigations page.