Flooding prevention, reporting and information

Information about flooding in Lambeth — who is responsible, what we have been currently working on and how you can report incidents and seek advice. 

Reducing the risk of flooding in your home

Property resilience

Every home and property owner are responsible for managing their risk of flooding from any natural source. The following resources provide ideas and further resources on how to minimise the risk of flooding and/or reduce the impacts of a flood.

Flood defences in the borough

Lambeth Council is a Lead Local Flood Authority, and has developed strategies and plans to introduce measures that will reduce the risk of flooding in the borough. 

Installing these measures are prioritised based on the level of flood risk and vulnerability. Due to the nature of Lambeth’s geography, conventional flood alleviation schemes are not viable, and therefore the focus is on nature-based solutions such as SuDS that work to reduce flood over a wide catchment. 

Read about our "Soak up Lambeth" SuDS programme. 

Lambeth Council’s Flood Risk Documents

The Greater London Authority and Environment Agency (National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England, Thames 2100 Plan) Also have regional and national strategies to manage and reduce flood risk.

Home insurance advice

Flood Re is a joint initiative between the insurance industry and the government. It aims to bring more affordable insurance to those who suffer from or are at risk of flooding.

For more information on Flood Re and to find out how to determine whether your property or business qualifies, visit the Flood Re website.

You can find other general advice on flooding insurance on the Association of British Insurers (ABI) website.

What you can do as a resident, community, and business

  • The high percentage cover of hard surfaces in the borough is a big contributor to the flood risk. The simplest way to reduce your risk is by replacing your hardstanding/paved area with green spaces or permeable surfaces such as trees or grass. This is known as depaving.
  • Implement Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in gardens, car parking areas, etc. SuDS are landscaped features that mimic the natural drainage regime. They are typically vegetated and can create an attractive and biodiverse garden feature.
  • Plant trees
  • Install water butts