Flood prevention responsibilities of property owners

It is your responsibility, as a homeowner or business, to look after your property. This includes protecting it from flooding.

The Environment Agency’s website has advice on being prepared and how to protect your property from flooding. They also publish regular updates on flooding and flood warnings.

You can contact Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for advice during a flood or to find out if your property is in an area at higher risk of flooding. In an emergency you should contact the emergency services.

We are keeping a record of flooding incidents in Lewisham to help support future plans and programmes to reduce the risk of flooding in the borough.

Owners of land or property near a watercourse

If you own land or a property that has a watercourse running through it or you live next to a watercourse you are a 'riparian owner'. As a riparian owner you have certain legal rights and responsibilities to maintain the watercourse including:

• maintaining the flow of water and clearing any obstructions

• maintaining the banks and beds of the watercourse and any flood defences that exist on it

• accepting the natural flow from your upstream neighbour and transferring it downstream, without obstruction, pollution or diversions

• maintaining any structures on your stretch of watercourse including culverts, weirs and mill gates.

If a watercourse marks the boundary between neighbouring properties or land, it is normally presumed that the riparian owner owns the land up to the centre line of the watercourse.

Riparian (river bank) owners can download a copy of Living on the Edge, a guidance document from the Environment Agency website.

If you wish to carry out any temporary or permanent works in or next to a watercourse you will need permission.