Flood risk management

Oldham Council works with other organisations to manage flood risks across the borough and help reduce the impact of flooding on homes, businesses and roads.

Find out who is responsible for managing flood risks, how we investigate flooding and what you need to know if you own land next to a watercourse.

How we manage flood risk

Oldham Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority for the borough.

This means we're responsible for managing the risk of flooding from:

  • Surface water: Rainwater that collects or flows over the ground.
  • Groundwater: Water that rises from beneath the ground.
  • Ordinary watercourses: Smaller rivers, streams and ditches that are not classified as main rivers.

We work with other organisations, including the Environment Agency, United Utilities and the Canal & River Trust, to manage flood risks.

The Environment Agency is responsible for managing flood risks from main rivers and regulating reservoir safety.

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy

Our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy explains how we manage flood risks across Oldham.

It sets out:

  • The main flood risks affecting the borough.
  • How we work with other organisations to manage flooding.
  • The actions planned to help reduce flood risks.
  • How flood risk management work may be funded.

Download the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for Oldham

Flood investigations

When major flooding happens, Oldham Council has a responsibility to investigate what happened under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

These investigations help us understand how flooding was managed and identify ways to reduce the risk of future flooding, where possible.

We work with other organisations responsible for managing flood risks, including:

  • The Environment Agency
  • United Utilities
  • The Canal & River Trust

Flood investigation reports

You can read our published flood investigation reports:

Flood risk assessments

Our Strategic Flood Risk Assessment helps us understand flood risks across Oldham and supports decisions about planning and development.

The assessment includes reports, maps and other documents showing areas at risk of flooding.

You can view and download the full collection of documents, including:

  • Strategic Flood Risk Assessment user guide.
  • Level 1 and Level 2 assessment reports.
  • Flood risk and flood zone maps.
  • Surface water flooding maps.
  • Critical drainage area maps.
  • Other supporting maps and information.

View Strategic Flood Risk Assessment documents

Working on or near a watercourse

If you own land next to or over a river, stream or other watercourse, you may have responsibilities for maintaining it.

These are known as riparian ownership responsibilities.

You can find further guidance about these responsibilities from the Environment Agency.

Getting permission for work on a watercourse

You may need permission from the council before carrying out work that could affect the flow of water in an ordinary watercourse.

This includes:

  • Building or changing a dam, weir or similar structure.
  • Building a culvert.
  • Changing an existing culvert in a way that could affect water flow.
  • Carrying out temporary works, such as installing scaffolding or pumping water.

You must get any necessary consent before starting work.

Applications can take up to two months to be determined, and a fee may apply.

Contact us before applying so we can advise whether consent is needed and explain any fees.

Email: LLFA@oldham.gov.uk

Write to:

Lead Local Flood Authority
Highways and Engineering
Oldham Council
Spindles Shopping Centre
West Street
Oldham
OL1 1HD

Helping to reduce flood risks

We're working with partner organisations on projects to reduce flooding in areas at risk.

This includes improving drainage infrastructure and planting trees to help slow the flow of rainwater.

Trees can help absorb rainwater and reduce the amount of water flowing over the ground.

Planting trees on your land

We're encouraging landowners to help reduce flood risks by planting trees on their land.

Funding and support may be available through the council and our partner organisations.

For more information, email highways@oldham.gov.uk.

Tell us about areas that regularly flood

If you live in an area that experiences regular flooding, we'd like to hear from you.

Please email highways@oldham.gov.uk with the location and as much information as possible about the flooding.