What are flood risk management systems? EA Information Sheet – May 2026
Dredging or Desilting? EA Information Sheet – March 2026
What is a flood storage reservoir? EA Information Sheet – January 2026
Environment Agency Update – December 2025
Environment Agency responses regarding river maintenance and the tilting gate
UPDATE: 8th May 2025 – Section 19 Recommendations
Geosmart Technical Review – FINAL – February 2025
Lincolnshire Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee Report
LCC Guidance on how to report Flooding
Personal Flood Plan
Get all your information together in one place, so that you are prepared if the worst happens.
Lincolnshire Resilience Forum
Bitesize River and Surface Water Flooding information
Owning a Watercourse
Your responsibilities and rules to follow for watercourses on or near your property, and permissions you need to do work around them.
Update – 16th January 2025:
The Section 19 reports for the Storm Babet Horncastle Flood have now been published.
Update – 27th September 2024:
The peer review report that has been undertaken into the EA’s own report, will be sent to the Town Council in time for our Council meeting on the 8th October – this will be the peer review report and initial summary answers.
The peer review report will also be presented to the Lincolnshire County Council’s Floor and Water Scrutiny Committee on the 14th October.
Storm Babet
Storm Babet in October 2023 led to flood warnings being issued. The resulting flood waters caused damage to homes and businesses within the Town and throughout surrounding villages near to the banks of the River Bain.
Public Flood Meeting, held on 25th April 2024
Section 19
Section 19 of the FWMA (Flood and Water Management Act 2010), places a duty of Lead Local Flood Authorities to undertake a flood investigation after a ‘significant’ flood event, to the extent that it considers necessary or appropriate.
Lincolnshire County Council, as our Lead Local Flood Authority, has commissioned Geosmart to assist with the gathering of information concerning the flooding. Geosmart have been around the 138 properties in Horncastle to gather more information about the flooding and its’ effects.
However, this is not the only opportunity that residents and businesses have to get in touch with them to provide information and photos. There is an online form available on the LCC website which people can complete at any point. The link is:
Various pots of financial assistance were made available to assist residents and businesses affected and the Lincolnshire Community Foundation has completed a report (button below) on the assistance that they managed to provide.
Following the flooding, we received an interim report from the EA with their initial findings on the operation of the Flood Alleviation Scheme (button below), and have now received the full reports (buttons below).
On the 1st March, local MP Victoria Atkins held a Flood Forum at Horncastle Community Centre, please find the notes of the meeting below:
When heavy rain has been forecast and there is a risk of flooding in the town it is possible for people to have sandbags to help protect their homes and businesses. These sandbags are available from the Stanhope Hall and they are not available for garages, sheds, drives, gardens etc.
Please only take bags if there is a probability of your property flooding.
If people are unable to collect bags themselves (those that are elderly or disabled) then deliveries may be possible. Please contact the Town Council office (during office hours) on 01507 522957
Empty sandbags
If you would like empty bags to fill yourself then these are available from the Town Council office at the Stanhope Hall.
As we only have a limited supply, sandbags can also be purchased from builders merchants / Amazon etc. and can be filled with either sand or soil. It is recommended that a sheet of plastic is placed under the sandbags, as the bags alone will not stop the ingress of water.
Please see the following Government advice on the use of sandbags: Sandbags and how to use them properly.
Lincolnshire County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority. They can be contacted by e-mailing floodrisk@lincolnshire.gov.uk or by calling 01522 782082
Horncastle Town Council have developed a Flood Response Plan and that can be read here:
How to prepare your home for a flood or flooding – blog article from GoCompare:
The Blue Pages – the UK’s leading independent flood directory
Governement advice on what to do after a flood
Floods and safeguarding older people during crises
Flood Re: A joint initiative between the Government and insurers. Its’ aim is to make the flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.
Facts about flooding and UK property market