Consultation on draft Statutory Instrument: The English Drainage Boards (Alternative Valuation Calculation) Regulations 2024

Overview

Internal drainage boards (IDBs), which are locally funded and operated statutory public bodies, are responsible in their area of operation, for water level management and managing flood risk. There are 112 independent IDBs in England and they are mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work, through drainage rates on agricultural landowners and special levies on local authorities. 

IDBs use a land valuation calculation to apportion their expenses between landowners and local authorities. This is based on historic ratings data which is missing or incomplete and is preventing new IDBs from being created and existing IDBs from expanding their boundaries. 

To address this, the government has made a technical change to the Land Drainage Act 1991, via the Environment Act 2021, setting out a new valuation calculation which enables the use of more up-to-date data from the Valuation Office Agency. This approach will apply to drainage rates and special levies, to ensure consistency in the apportionment of expenses. 

The consultation will start on 7 March 2024 and will be open for a period of 6 weeks closing on 19 April 2024. The consultation will end at one minute to midnight on 19 April. If you have any enquiries please contact us at flood.reports@defra.gov.uk  

Please see the consultation documents below 

Why your views matter

We are seeking your views on the draft statutory instrument ahead of its future introduction into Parliament for approval, to ensure that the policy delivers as intended, effectively and with no unintended consequences.

What happens next

Defra will consider the responses to this consultation and prepare a government response. Defra will also update the draft statutory instrument if necessary ahead of it going to Parliament for approval.