ABSTRACT
In England, Local Authorities have certain powers in relation to flood defence provision and drainage. The Land Drainage Act of 1991 essentially ‘re-enacted powers permitting local authorities to carry out work on [ordinary and criticalordinary]watercourses. . . . so far asmaybenecessary in order to prevent or alleviate flooding and to carry out other drainage work’ (DoE, 1992, p.27). However, the ‘control of floodplain development has been recognised as a non-structural method of flood hazard reduction’ (Parker, 1995, p.343).
