Information on flood and coastal erosion risk management, coast protection, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and planning, consenting on ordinary watercourses and flood investigation reports that have been carried out.

What you need to know

Northumberland County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and the Coast Protection Authority (CPA) for Northumberland.

The Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) team are responsible for:  

• Managing flood risk from local sources. 
• Controlling erosion and managing the coastline. 

The FCERM team largely focuses on:

• Attracting funding for new coastal and flooding schemes. 
• Responding to planning applications with regards to surface water flood risk. 
• Providing land drainage consents for works which affect the flow of an ordinary watercourse. 

We are aa Lead Local Flood Authority and Coast Protection Authority. We take a partnership approach to funding flood and coastal management projects. Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) makes up a large proportion of the funding. Schemes are usually only made possible by contributions from other sources, such as:

• regional Local Levy funding
• public contributions
• private contributions.

FDGiA is applied for by producing a business case for approval from the Environment Agency. The business case should set out the technical, social and economic viability of the project. How much FDGiA we receive for a project is largely based upon how many households will be better protected from flooding and coastal erosion. Other infrastructure is also considered.

To find out more about our flood and coastal risk management schemes click on the interactive map. For specific information on schemes in the county, see the flood risk management and coast protection sections.

For more information on the council’s flood and coastal risk management functions, you can contact us on:

• Email: fcerm@northumberland.gov.uk
• Phone: 0345 600 6400

FCERM Privacy Notice