Access to quality support
The Partnership wants to make it easier for rural communities and businesses to access the and support they need to bolster their resilience.
Strategic outcomes:
Farm businesses can increase their resilience to current flood risks and adapt their practices to prepare for the long-term challenges of climate change.
Increased resilience to flooding and coastal change for rural communities through effective long term rural land-use and management.
Increased awareness of the funding available and suitable for the needs of rural communities addressing rural flood resilience and coastal change.
| We want to see | What we will do | When from | Who will lead the work |
|---|---|---|---|
| When rural communities and businesses are impacted by flooding they know what support they can access and how. | Identify and raise awareness amongst rural communities and those working with them of the mechanisms, tools, flexible permissions and recovery funds that rural communities and businesses may look to following flooding. | 2025 | EA and other regulatory organisations |
| Develop a standard approach for accurately describing the breadth of impacts from flooding in rural areas, including economic, environmental, social and wellbeing impacts, as well as impacts on food production. | 2024 | All Partners | |
| Rural communities and businesses know what information is available to them to help them understand their flood risk. Rural communities and businesses have access to practical information that will help them reduce their risk without exporting that risk to others. |
Develop practical advice for farm businesses seeking to reduce their risk from flooding, limit the impacts during flooding and recover faster following flooding. | 2025 | NFU |
| Develop a programme of communications and engagement to signpost advice and support on the benefits of Property Flood Resilience to communities at highest risk. (R) This will include the creation of guidance and advice for farm businesses on how to increase their flood resilience by implementing Property Flood Resilience measures. |
2025 | EA | |
| Strengthen the awareness among landowners, farmers, communities and businesses of the roles and responsibilities of riparian owners and explore ways that maintenance of rural FCERM assets including watercourses can be better co-ordinated between riparian owners and Risk Management Authorities such as the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Boards. | 2025 | All Partners | |
| More rural businesses know how they can be funded or incentivised to deliver activities that reduce their risk of flooding and the risk of flooding to others. | Identify and promote amongst farm businesses and rural communities the funding and incentives available to support sustainable farming, and land and business management practices that increase flood resilience. | 2024 | NFU, CLA, ACRE and NE |
| Planning for future flood resilience being routinely considered by rural communities and those working with them. | Work with the National Association of Local Councils to provide Parish and Town Councils with information on how to consider flood resilience when working with local communities, including writing Neighbourhood Development Plans. | 2025 | ACRE |
| Strengthen awareness of rural flood resilience matters across risk management authorities to support those managing flood risk to better understand how they can support rural communities and businesses to be more resilient to flooding. | 2025 | ADA and EA |
(R): this is part of an existing action in the FCERM Strategy Roadmap to 2026