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ARCHIVE: Internal Drainage Boards

Internal Drainage Board watercourseInternal Drainage Boards (IDBs) are independent bodies responsible for land drainage in areas of special drainage need that extends to 1.2 million hectares of lowland England. They are long established bodies operating predominently under the Land Drainage Act 1991 and have permissive powers to undertake works to secure drainage and water level management of their districts. They may also undertake flood defence works on ordinary watercourses within their district (that is, watercourses other than 'main river').

Much of their work involves the improvement and maintenance of rivers, drainage channels and pumping stations. There are now some 170 in England and Wales, concentrated in East Anglia, Yorkshire, Somerset and Lincolnshire. Internal Drainage Board membership includes elected members representing the occupiers of the land in the district and members nominated by local authorities to represent other interests.

A review of Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) was announced in June 2005. Read about the review and related implementation plan.

Defra also consulted on a number of possible reforms to the role and governance of IDBs in the draft Floods and Water Management Bill published in April 2009.

Models

The attachments below link to procedures and model documents for IDB use, such as Land Drainage Byelaws, and IDB Standing Orders. If anyone can suggest other model documents which should appear on this page, then please contact us.

Schemes for Constitutions, Reconstitutions, Amalgamations, Transfer of Powers and Alterations to the Boundaries of IDBs.

Schemes for the reorganisation of IDBs as set out above are effected under section 3 of and Schedule 3 to the Land Drainage Act 1991. To make these changes IDBs submit their request to the Environment Agency who then formally apply to Defra for an Order to be made. Any notices informing of an IDBs intention to make such changes will be displayed here.

Grant Aid

Defra grant aids IDB flood risk management capital improvement projects at a rate of 45% (from 1 April 2001). However special rates are available for works to implement water level management plans in certain sites, ie 80% in internationally important conservation areas (SPAs, SACs and Ramsar sites), 50% in areas of national importance (other Special Sites of Scientific Interest or SSSIs) and 100% for some identified priority Sites of Special Scientific Interest. This is in recognition of the fact that IDBs are partly funded by private landowners while the works in question provide benefits nationally.

The balance of IDBs' costs of work after grant (and local authority special levies) has to be met by local agricultural drainage ratepayers whereas the capital expenditure of the Environment Agency and local authorities is largely met from the public purse. The actual grant aiding process for IDB projects is operated by the Environment Agency.

Useful Links

Page last modified: 27 April 2011
Page published: 10 December 2007