FLOOD DEFENCE UPDATE, 23rd NOVEMBER 2004
That a significant developments since the steering group meeting on 27th October, notably;
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an EA briefing to Norman Baker (attached)
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Maureen Messer and I met Andrew Gilham and Graham Kempster to discuss points raised by Maureen in her recent letters to the environment agency.
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a meeting of the DEFRA flood risk management strategy stakeholders group.
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Publication of Eliott Morley's letter to the EA giving priority score thresholds for the next 3 years (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/mtp/2004/eaalloc2004.htm)
Flood defences.
Malling Brooks
Virtually complete - newsletter attached. Readers will be already aware that anticipation of flood defences has stimulated a planning application for live work units on the Brooks. On looking at the file I was astonished to learn that the environment agency has no objection in principle to these units although it recommended that ground floor level should be raised by 60 centimetres and they should be no residential accommodation on the ground floor. It seems that their hands are tied by current planning guidance which prevents them from anticipating the effects of climate change. This is likely to mean that the present 1:200 year standard of protection from all Brooks will be halved within 80 years putting the new development at significant flood risk, from the insurance point of view, a years later. Lewes district Council has turned the application down on grounds of inconsistency with the local plan but the developer is appealing. We should ensure that the deputy prime minister eliminates this problem in his current revision of planning guidance on development in the floodplain. We should also keep pressure on the district Council to ensure that takes the point on board its plans for a truly sustainable Lewes.
Cliffe
Priority points scores for defences in Cliffe have been revised because the discount rate used in flood defence investment appraisal has been changed and DEFRA requires schemes to be designed for 100 year life. Under new rules flood walls in Cliff will have to be totally rebuilt rather than repaired and enhanced. The extra expenditure means a priority points score of about 10 rather than the 26 previously shown on the DEFRA website. However as things stand at present we shall have to wait until at least March 2005 before we know the new pints score. Elliot Morley has now told the EA threshold point scores will be 19 next year and probably 19 and 15 respectively in the following two years although he hopes it might be possible to increase the 2007/8 figure next year. (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/mtp/2004/eaalloc2004.htm) This means no practical work on Cliffe until at least 2008/9 if we have to rely on DEFRA grant aid. (Elliott Morley has asked the EA to relax threshold schemes that protect a lot of houses so that the extra 80,000 home protected target can be met. It would however be astonishing if this relaxation extended to Cliffe). Despite all this the Agency hopes to be able to fund preliminary design work next year.
Results of research into water flow in the lower Ouse have been reported. Provision for downstream storage of floodwater south of the bypass would increase the flow of water through Newhaven threefold creating serious risks of flooding and erosion. If these results are confirmed downstream storage of floodwater is unlikely to be acceptable thus limiting the standard of protection that could be provided in Cliff and western town centre to 1:100 years rather than the eventual 1:170 year standard that was hoped for in the strategy that was issued in September 2002.
North Street.
List district Council and the agency are continuing to discuss a redevelopment scheme that could bring Flood defences to North Street and Pells but no details are available because of their commercial sensitivity except that relocation of the fire and ambulance stations is being considered and the land that was previously be considered as a temporary car park in Malling Brooks has been acquired by the developer for this purpose.
North Malling and Malling Deanery
The environment agency is still trailing the idea of defences for the cells after 2007 funded by the flood defence levy. Levy income can be used for work in cells that do not have sufficient priority points for grant aid but still have a benefit to cost ratio of > 1.
Landport
Nothing to report.
Winterbourne
More work on screens.
Andrew reported that DEFRA is unlikely to be able to give a verdict on the Ouse Valley Flood defence strategy before March 2005. It seems that three major schemes were submitted during the summer and DEFRA asked the agency to rank their urgency. Since the other two schemes were the coastal defences for places where a serious storm would bring severe loss of life they have been given priority.
Maureen and I consider that the ever changing position and the rate of turnover of flood defence staff in the EA is most unsatisfactory. Nevertheless we welcome the EA's willingness to reconvene the Ouse Valley stakeholder group as soon as possible.
Recommendations
Express outrage at the continuing delay and ever moving goalposts.
Continue campaigning for 1:200 year standard of protection for all cells.
Intensify efforts to promote community awareness of flood risk and self help flood risk reduction measures including the flood warden scheme and more user friendly warning systems.
Continue to campaign for increased public funding of flood defences by drawing attention to the fact that, at present levels of funding, a place which was as hard-hit is Lewes in 2000 can secure defences for only a small part of the community risk within reasonable time.
Press the county council and the Regional Flood defence committee to increase the flood defence levy whilst campaigning for a change in the rules for levy funding so that fund generated in this way are less dependent on funding history. Even so it is doubtful if the Cliffe scheme could be funded by levy even if other counties in Southern Region agreed.
Press Lewes district Council to introduce planning policies under the local development framework that would deliver developer funding for flood defence of our current assets and prevent development areas that will be vulnerable to flooding in the longer term.
Press ODPM to make it easier for a precautionary approach to climate change in their revision of PPG 25.
Work with the Environment Agency and other stakeholders in the Ouse Valley to find ways of getting provisional information on the development of the flood risk management strategy.
Consider inviting the EA, Lewes DC and ESCC to attend steering group meetings to facilitate implementation of our revised terms of reference.
National Flood risk management strategy.
I attended a meeting of the DEFRA stakeholder group on 19th of November. The good news is that officials reported strong pressure for greater weight to be given to social factors in investment decisions on flood risk management. They will recommend that ministers should take this point on board in the final strategy. The less good news was that officials are very pessimistic about the chances of getting clearance for a national strategy from Whitehall departments before they enter free election purdah, probably in March. They feel that all is likely to be possible is a report on the consultation and an indication of 'direction of travel'. I received strong support for suggesting that if this is the case they should try to get ministers to agree to key points that can be agreed at this stage and defer only controversial issues until after the election. We should voice outrage if after all hard work that has gone into the strategy it is lost. An ominous sign is that the DEFRA strategy unit is being wound up in March when the present leader retires!
TC 23 Nov 2004
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