Who is responsible for clearing out Heighington beck?
The beck is classed as an ‘ordinary watercourse’ as it flows through the village. The Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) – in our case, Lincolnshire County Council - are responsible for managing flood risk and carrying out flood defence work, as it does not sit within the district of an internal drainage board (IDB). Downstream from Apple Close it is then classed as a ‘main river’. Whilst this section does fall under the Witham First Internal Drainage Board (IDB) area, responsibility for managing flood risk on main rivers sits with the Environment Agency.
The responsibility for maintaining and ensuring the free flowing of ordinary watercourses usually falls upon the riparian owner. A riparian owner is somebody who has a watercourse running through, beneath or adjacent to their land or property. Riparian owners have a responsibility to ensure the water flows naturally, however any flooding incidents or damage should be reported to the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA).
Responsibilities of riparian owners include but are not limited to:
- Not obstructing the flow of a watercourse to the detriment of your neighbours.
- Keeping structures that you own clear and free from obstruction.
- Seeking permission to use herbicides to control weeds in water or on the banks next to a watercourse.
- Not allowing the watercourse to become polluted.
- Preventing invasive species from spreading into the wild or onto neighbour’s land.
Watercourse maintenance may only be required on an intermittent basis and might include:
- In channel weed cutting. Where possible, marginal vegetation on one side of the channel should be left uncut.
- Removing branches and trunks that obstruct the channel.
- Removing accumulated silt that is obstructing flows in the channel.