- Government guidance emphasises that landowners have the primary responsibility for flood prevention
- all powers relating to flooding and land drainage are permissive; so the various bodies involved do not have a duty to take action. They have to prioritise work based on need and take action using public funds when they consider it is justified to do so. If the organisation concerned has assessed the need for flood defence work, followed the proper procedures and relevant guidance in a timely way and then reached a decision, we are unlikely to uphold a complaint, and
- it is often difficult to conclude with certainty what caused a particular incident of flooding.
Link to source (Ombudsman web site) here