The Secretary of State has made the Waveney, Lower Yare, and Lothingland Internal Drainage Board (Reconstitution) Order 2026, confirming an Environment Agency scheme under section 3 of the Land Drainage Act 1991. The change reduces the number of elected members from 18 to 9, with the instrument taking effect on 27 February 2026. (gov.uk)
For implementation, the Order provides a one‑off, time‑limited appointment of the first cohort of nine “elected members” by the Secretary of State, to bridge to the next routine Internal Drainage Board elections under Schedule 1 to the 1991 Act. The instrument applies in England, though the citation extends to England and Wales.
The reconstitution addresses the elected component only. Appointment of local authority nominees by charging authorities continues to be governed by Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the 1991 Act and is unaffected. This follows the model used in recent IDB schemes that specify elected numbers while statutory formulas continue to determine appointed seats-for example, the proposed Upper Ouse Water Management Board scheme set 14 elected members. (gov.uk)
Administrative continuity is explicit: on commencement, all property, rights and obligations of the existing Board vest in the reconstituted body. Byelaws, contracts and operational programmes therefore continue without interruption.
The Environment Agency published the proposed reconstitution on 3 April 2025, inviting representations until 3 May 2025 and setting out the draft scheme to reduce elected members to nine. The Secretary of State has now confirmed the scheme with modifications following that process. (gov.uk)
Operationally, the Board manages a 15,109‑hectare drainage district across parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, overseeing 434 km of ordinary watercourse, 19 pumping stations and more than 50 water‑level control structures. A smaller elected cohort is expected to shorten decision‑making cycles across this asset base. (wlma.org.uk)
The Board was constituted in 2006 from the amalgamation of twelve smaller drainage boards and operates within the Water Management Alliance consortium. Recent joint work with the Environment Agency on Starston Beck in Norfolk illustrates its ongoing role in water‑level management and habitat restoration. (wlma.org.uk)
For councils acting as charging authorities and for ratepayers, the Order does not alter funding mechanisms such as drainage rates or special levies. Councils remain exposed to levy movements-as reflected in the government’s 2023–24 support grant-and should factor governance changes into budget timetables and capital planning. (gov.uk)