URL: https://doncaster.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=3705

Decision Maker: Service Director Finance and Technology

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: The City of Doncaster Council (CDC), as the statutory Highway Authority, has a legal responsibility to ensure that the public highway remains safe for all users under the Highways Act 1980. When sections of the network become flooded, CDC is required to intervene to prevent significant risks to motorists and pedestrians, including vehicle loss, collisions, and individuals becoming stranded. In recent years, during multiple heavy rainfall events, CDC has repeatedly deployed operational teams to temporarily close affected roads and station a jetting tanker on site for extended periods to remove surface water. This reactive arrangement has been essential to maintain public safety, but it places considerable strain on limited resources. The repeated deployment of tankers to a single high-risk location represents an inefficient use of a critical asset, particularly during severe weather when the Council must meet its statutory duties under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. With only a small fleet of tankers available, dedicating one unit for an entire day restricts the authority’s ability to manage other drainage emergencies or deliver urgent flood-risk mitigation across the wider network. This conflicts with the requirement for local authorities to take a risk-based, proportionate, and resilient approach to flood event response and infrastructure management.

Content:

Date of Decision: April 23, 2026