Flood and Water Management Act 2010

27 Sustainable development

(1) In exercising a flood or coastal erosion risk management function, an authority listed in subsection (3) must aim to make a contribution towards the achievement of sustainable development.

(2) The Minister must issue guidance about how authorities are to discharge the duty under subsection (1) (including guidance about the meaning of sustainable development); and the authorities must have regard to the guidance.

(3) The authorities are—

(a) lead local flood authorities,

(b) district councils,

(c) internal drainage boards, and

(d) highway authorities.

(4) In this section “flood risk management function” means (in place of the definition in section 4) any of the following functions which may be exercised by an authority listed in subsection (3), in so far as it is or may be exercised for a purpose connected with flood risk management—

(a) a function under this Part,

(b) a function under the Land Drainage Act 1991,

(c) a function under section 100, 101, 110 or 339 of the Highways Act 1980, and

(d) any other function specified for the purposes of this section by order made by the Minister.

(5) In this section “Minister” means—

(a) the Secretary of State, in relation to English authorities, and

(b) the Welsh Ministers, in relation to Welsh authorities.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (5)—

(a) an “English authority” is—

(i) a lead local flood authority, district council or highway authority for an area in England, and

(ii) an internal drainage board for an internal drainage district that is wholly or mainly in England;

(b) a “Welsh authority” is—

(i) a lead local flood authority or highway authority for an area in Wales, and

(ii) an internal drainage board for an internal drainage district that is wholly or mainly in Wales.