New CIRIA guidance encourages communities to help maintain local flood defences

The guidance forms a three-part suite (C821) aimed at supporting community maintenance of local flood risk infrastructure. It is designed to help communities organise maintenance activities while also providing advice to risk management authorities on how to work with local groups.

The project was developed with support from the Environment Agency and part-funded through the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Research and Development Programme.

While the documents focus on practical guidance, they also reflect a wider policy emphasis on community resilience and partnership approaches to managing flood risk.

What the new guidance includes

The CIRIA C821 guidance package is structured around three complementary documents.

Together, the documents aim to create a shared framework for collaboration between communities and authorities responsible for managing flood risk.

What “community maintenance” means in practice

The guidance focuses on relatively small-scale activities that can help maintain the performance of local drainage systems and watercourses.

Typical examples include:

• removing debris from channels and culverts
• managing vegetation along watercourses
• clearing litter and minor obstructions
• monitoring drainage features and reporting issues.

These activities can help reduce blockages and maintain flow capacity within drainage networks, particularly where smaller assets may not be inspected frequently.

Maintaining the condition and performance of flood risk infrastructure remains a longstanding challenge across England’s extensive network of defences and drainage systems. The performance of many systems ultimately depends on ongoing maintenance and asset management, particularly where defences are below standard yet still relied upon to manage flood risk.

Clear limits on volunteer activity

Importantly, the CIRIA guidance emphasises that community maintenance does not change legal responsibilities for flood risk management.

Statutory responsibilities remain with risk management authorities and landowners. Activities requiring specialist equipment, engineering expertise or entry into confined spaces fall outside the scope of volunteer work.

Flood risk governance in England is complex, involving multiple organisations with different statutory duties and powers. The division of responsibilities between authorities, landowners and infrastructure operators forms the backbone of how flood risk is managed across England.

The guidance therefore focuses on activities that are low risk and complementary to formal asset management, rather than replacing professional maintenance or engineering work.

Why community involvement is being encouraged

The guidance also reflects broader pressures facing flood risk management.

Flood risk is increasing in many areas as rainfall patterns change and extreme weather events become more frequent. Changing rainfall patterns are already placing growing pressure on drainage networks and flood defence infrastructure as more intense rainfall events reshape flood risk across the UK.

At the same time, the scale of drainage networks means many smaller assets are difficult to monitor continuously. Community observation and maintenance can therefore help identify issues earlier and support the performance of local drainage systems between formal inspections.

The guidance positions community maintenance as a complementary layer within the wider flood risk management system.

A wider shift toward partnership approaches

The publication also reflects a broader shift in flood policy toward partnership approaches and shared stewardship of infrastructure.

Recent changes to flood investment policy have increasingly emphasised partnership funding and collaborative approaches to infrastructure delivery, reflected in reforms to the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management investment framework.

Within that context, community participation is increasingly viewed as one element of local flood resilience, particularly where smaller drainage assets rely on regular observation and maintenance.

Looking ahead

As climate pressures increase and drainage systems face growing demands, maintaining the performance of local flood infrastructure will remain a critical part of managing flood risk.

The CIRIA C821 guidance provides a practical framework for communities and authorities to work together in supporting that effort, particularly where small-scale maintenance and monitoring can make a meaningful difference to local flood resilience.

Understanding how flood risk infrastructure performs, where maintenance pressures exist and how assets interact with development and land use remains a core part of effective flood risk management. Organisations navigating those challenges often require clear technical assessment and strategic advice, particularly where development proposals or planning decisions interact with existing flood risk systems.