There is no single body responsible for managing flood risk in the UK. In many cases, flooding may be caused by a number of different sources which are managed by different Flood Risk Management Authorities.

The following Flood Risk Management Authorities (RMA’s) and stakeholders are integral to flood risk management in Dorset:

  • Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), Dorset Council
  • Environment Agency
  • Water and Sewerage Companies, Wessex and South-West Water 
  • Highway Authorities, Dorset Council and National Highways 
  • Parish and Town Councils
  • Riparian owners

These web pages focus on our role as the Lead Local Flood Authority. The other RMA’s will publish content on their own websites outlining their flood management responsibilities.

Our role as Lead Local Flood Authority


As the Lead Local Flood Authority we have a supervisory responsibility towards flood risk from local sources such as ordinary watercourses (not main rivers), surface water and groundwater. We ensure local flood incidents are identified and then investigated by the appropriate RMA’s. We also regulate work on ordinary watercourses.

Our responsibilities in this area are set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and Flood Risk Regulations 2009. We can be contacted by emailing FloodRiskManagement@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk 

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

LLFAs have to produce and maintain a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. Local flood risk includes flooding from surface water, groundwater and 'ordinary watercourses' (for example, ditches and streams).

Our Strategy sets out the vision for managing local flood risk across the council area, and how we will seek to work with communities and partner organisations. Our vision for the Strategy is "working together to manage local flood risk in Dorset so communities are resilient and prepared for flooding".

We will meet our vision through the following objectives:

  • understanding flood risk across Dorset
  • managing the likelihood and impacts of flooding
  • helping Dorset's communities to manage their own flood risk
  • ensuring flood risk is considered in local land development proposals
  • improving flood prediction, warning, response and flood recovery 

The Local Flood Risk Management Strategy is available in two forms: