Flood Defence Co-ordinator's Report, January 2006
Progress in Cliffe?
Rupert Clubb’s letter to Maureen of 22nd of November (below) paints a gloomy picture. DEFRA funding is unlikely to be available for flood defence work in Lewes in the foreseeable future. However Rupert mentioned the possibility that work might be carried out using the local levy, a surcharge on council tax in the area from East Dorset to East Kent. This option has moved on apace since Rupert wrote. At its meeting on January 11th the RFDC will be considering proposals for levy fund programmes that include providing a 1:100 standard of defence between the Phoenix Causeway and Harveys to be built as early as 2006/7 and a similar standard south of Phoenix Causeway to be built between 2007/8 and 2009/10. This would be possible if the RFDC agreed a levy on the same rate as last year. A lower rate of levy would extend the timetable or restrict work to the Phoenix Causeway - Harvey’s section. Members wishing to lobby should get the papers from Lisa Guile at Worthing, 01903 832 023 or lisa.guiel@environment-agency.gov.uk. I shall be attending the meeting as a member of the committee but probably will not be eligible to vote.
Outlook for DEFRA funding - bleak
Elliot Morley informed the EA office spending proposals at the time of Gordon Brown's pre budget report. He hopes to maintain the present level of funding until 2008/9 but notes that a lot of large schemes already in the pipeline so that the outlook for scheme is not yet in the programme is very poor. So much so he has not given indicative priority points score for future years saying that he does not wish to anticipate the development of new out performance measures that will reflect new priorities ie those arising from making space for water. A cynic might translate this gobbledygook thus “Gordon won't give me any more cash and London will grab most of what I get. Other places including Lewes have little hope for further DEFRA funded defences, but I will try to help them to prepare for flooding and perhaps clean up afterwards.” (Full text is given on the DEFRA website.) We need to keep pressing the Council and the EA to give us the awareness, warnings and support that we need in relation to both the river and sewer flooding.
Basically Elliot Morley has confirmed what Rupert said in his letter. So far as grant aided defences are concerned Lewes is stuffed as is most of the country.
The consequences for Lewes mean that we need to maintain our twin track approach of expressing outrage and trying to influence policy priorities, including proper funding. The letter writing campaign that Sue and Angela are leading is vital and everyone must not only join in but promote it with others.To further our policy aims Maureen and I will be attending the next DEFRA stakeholder group in February.
The poor outlook for DEFRA funding means that Lewes will have to look too property developers or other sorts of funding it is to obtain flood defences for North Street, the Pells, the West the town centre and Landport. At present there only seem to be prospects in North Street and possibly the Pells. I will come back to this later.
The Ouse Valley strategy
Rupert's letter takes the EA revised strategy as published. This is a great pity because it is a very short sighted and disappointing document. Standards of protection on offer are lower than those on offer in September 2002 They are only breathing space that allows Lewes to get an act together while it finds a long term solution. The 1:100 standard that we hope will be in place in Cliffe by 2010 is on the boundary between high and medium probability of flooding in planning guidance terms. (See later) It will be eroded by climate change. Figures already published by the agency in the first version the strategy suggest that within 30 years to standard will drop to 1:75 opening the way for the return of insurance problems under the new principles launched by the ABI and government. (See ABI website for details.) It is vital that we keep pressure on the EA to reconvene the Ouse Valley strategy stakeholder group so that we can form a longer-term view. This is particularly important in view of the disastrous effects that piecemeal development, including the Phoenix quarter, could have on the possibility of a lasting solution to our flood problem.
New planning guidance
The start of a month ODPM published a consultation document on PPS 25, “Development and flood risk”. If proposals are approved several important loopholes will be closed. For example flood risk will have to be assessed "over the lifetime of the development" ie climate change will have to be taken into account and the EA will be able to object to proposed developments that are close to tolerance levels. Local council's will have to carry out strategic flood risk assessment before allowing major developments. As I said earlier this is vital for Lewes at this time since lasting solution strong problem will depend upon revisiting the options which the EA dismissed as being unaffordable in their 2003 strategy and have never re-examined. Although I am not a development lawyer I understand that points made in consultation become material considerations soon as they are published. In other words is not to soon to start pressing LDC to get on with strategic flood risk assessment and put major developments on hold until is complete. The consultation closes on 28th February but meanwhile I shall be studying it and discussing it at an NFF/NSCA conference on 24th January and in a meeting of the Thames Flood Forum. Members should get hold of copy of consultation document and decide whether we should make a response, we are one of the community is best placed to do this in view of our experience since 2000. Document is on the ODPM website or can be obtained free from the publication Centre on 0870 12 26 236 quoting the product code 05 PD 035 09.
Happy Christmas and a dry 2006
Tom Crossett
Rupert Chubb's letter
Date: 22nd November 2005
Mrs Messer
1 Hereward Way
Lewes
East Sussex
BN72HN
Dear Mrs. Messer
RE: LEWES FLOOD DEFENCE
Thank you for your letter of thanks regarding our recent event in Lewes. Many people we spoke to on the day appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and receive advice on flood products and self help measures. I believe it was an important message to deliver, that future flooding from the River Ouse may not be as extreme and therefore self help measures can have a really benefit to protecting property. These steps are equally applicable to surface water and drainage flooding.
I would like to continue by answering your other points.
The Sussex Ouse Flood Management Strategy was prepared in accordance with Flood and Coastal Defence Project Appraisal Guidance Notes published by Defra; and approved by Defra in May. As you know, the Priority Scores derived from the economic appraisal are low for the remaining flood cells in Lewes, compared to the scores for schemes elsewhere in the country. Unfortunately therefore, until the national threshold drops sufficiently, it is unlikely for the foreseeable future that funds will be available to design and construct improvements to the rest of the defences.
The initial strategy work showed there was a clear and unequivocal case to improve the flood defences to Mailing Brooks. Therefore, Defra provided Grant in Aid in advance of approving the Strategy. Construction of the scheme was completed in November 2004 (final landscaping and fencing to Tesco's car park is currently in hand). This provides a 1 in 200yr standard of protection to 237 residential and 49 commercial/public properties. The scheme cost £1.8m.
A 30m long section of the existing defences adjacent to the Winterboume Outfall failed and was reconstructed recently. These works cost approximately £3 00k. We have also installed a new trashscreen on the Winterboume Stream at the Bell Lane recreation ground to intercept trash and litter dumped into the stream before it blocks the entrance to the culvert downstream and floods properties in St Pancras Gardens
We are also proceeding with a review of the costs and benefits of the Cliffe cell using Local Levy approved by the Sussex Local Flood Defence Committee to check the priority score and producing a Project Appraisal Report. The Report would enable us to proceed with detailed design and construction if national funds become available.
In respect of development, the Agency is a statutory consultee within the Town and Country Planning Process. Since the publication in July 2001 of Planning Policy Guidance 25 -'Development and Flood Risk' the Agency has adopted these guidelines to all consultations from Lewes District Council. Inherent in this guideline is the prevention of all development in flood risk areas where there is no adequate flood defence. PPG25 quotes an acceptable defence level against flooding to be a 1 in 100 year (1% probability) fluvial and a 1 in 200 year (0.5% probability) tidal.
As a consequence any proposed development which is not afforded an appropriate defence as outlined in the guidance has been objected to by the Agency. We continue to work closely with Lewes District Council on all of the above matters.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Rupert Clubb
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