1622-Humber Consult Doc.Indd
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The Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy Consultation Document August 2005 planning for the rising tides Key issues Strategy objectives Key issues affecting the Sea level rise Impact of realigning defences Overall objectives Sea levels in the estuary are Maintaining or moving defences 1. To develop a coherent and • sustainable, taking into 2. To ensure that all proposals are: need for and scope of a expected to rise relative to the land in the middle or outer parts of the realistic plan for the estuary’s account future changes in the • compatible with natural estuary at an average rate of 6 mm per year estuary (seaward of the Humber flood defences that is: environment (human, built or strategy include: processes; over the next 50 years (and possibly Bridge) will have little effect on natural), in sea levels or in the • compatible with natural estuary at a higher rate subsequently). overall estuary processes or on the climate. • technically feasible; Condition and standard of processes; defences elsewhere, however doing defences Loss of inter-tidal habitat • economically viable; so further landward could affect • compatible with adjacent Although the existing defences are As sea levels rise the presence of water levels. developments, including • environmentally appropriate; and in reasonable condition and provide a system of defences around the preferred options for adjoining an adequate standard of protection, estuary will result in the loss of Creating flood storage • socially acceptable. lengths of frontage; and both the condition and the standard about 600 ha of inter-tidal habitat Creating flood storage landward will reduce with time through due to coastal squeeze. of the Humber Bridge, either by natural deterioration and because moving the defences or by allowing Habitats Regulations Detailed Objectives of estuary processes, including the sections to overtop during extreme The SPA/SAC designations within rise in sea levels. events, will lower flood levels and the estuary mean that, to comply To maintain and, where possible, To protect people and their property from the adverse effects (physical and so reduce flood risk nearby. This enhance public safety, health and psychological) of flooding Assets protected with the obligations imposed by the may allow us to delay works that are security The defences protect large numbers Habitats Regulations*, where we intended to improve standards of of people and major concentrations cannot say that there won’t be any To respond to natural processes and To ensure proposals do not have adverse effects on wider estuarine processes protection. Suitable flood storage to avoid contamination and erosion of residential, industrial and loss of inter-tidal habitat resulting sites can only be identified and To ensure that ‘contaminated sites’ are prevented from having an adverse effect commercial property together from a decision to continue on the estuary their benefits assessed through a with nationally important port managing the defences (whether strategic approach. To protect and, where possible, To protect high quality agricultural land from flooding infrastructure and extensive areas due to coastal squeeze or to repair provide opportunities for economic of highly productive and versatile or improvement works) we will need * The Conservation (Natural development and employment To protect areas of employment from the adverse effects of flooding and agricultural land. to provide compensatory habitat as Habitats etc) Regulations 1994 (including protection of existing land provide a secure environment for economic activity and development close to the location of the loss as uses where appropriate) Justification for works possible. Nevertheless there are significant To protect existing transport To ensure there are no adverse effects on navigation (e.g. on channels, infrastructure (land and sea) deepwater docks and beacons etc) areas of the tidal floodplain that Strategic realignment of defences contain relatively small numbers Realigning the defences at selected To prevent adverse impacts of flooding on road and rail infrastructure of people and few properties and sites is the only way of providing To protect and, where possible, To minimise adverse effects on the European site and ensure direct losses are where, as a result, it will be difficult this replacement habitat within enhance flora and fauna compensated to justify the cost of repairing or the estuary and appropriate sites (biodiversity) improving the defences. can only be identified through an To address the adverse effects of ‘coastal squeeze’ on the European site estuary-wide (strategic) approach. To protect the historic environment To minimise adverse effects on undiscovered or buried archaeology To protect designated archaeological and historic features within the floodplain To protect and where possible To ensure that characteristic and valuable landscapes are protected and enhance landscape, amenity and enhanced and that recreational/amenity features are protected and promoted recreational values where possible 2 Environment Agency The Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy Environment Agency The Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy 3 Introduction In 1997 we began to develop a co-ordinated approach to managing the flood defences surrounding the Humber Estuary and the lower reaches of its main tributaries, the Yorkshire Ouse and the Trent. This led to the publication, in September 2000, of the Humber Estuary Shoreline Management Plan (HESMP), which defined the problem, identified the key issues, reviewed the options available and set out overall flood defence policies. It was based on a sound understanding of the physical processes taking place within the estuary and took into account the resulting economic, environmental and Contents social impacts. Key issues 2 4. — What happens next 24 The HESMP indicated that Strategy objectives 3 Approving the strategy 24 a major programme of Introduction 5 Strategic Environmental Assessment 26 improvement works would be Sustainability Appraisal 26 needed to counter the effects 1. — Why a strategy is needed 6 Flood risk management 27 of sea level rise and to ensure Land use and development 6 Other issues to be addressed 27 that appropriate standards of Flood defence and defence standards 7 protection are maintained. It also Estuary processes and future changes 8 5. — Proposals for each management unit 28 pointed out that in some places Natural and historic environment 10 Unit 1 Easington to Paull 28 the defences will need to be Managing coastal habitats 10 Unit 2 Paull to North Ferriby 30 realigned, either to make them Managing flood risk 10 Unit 3 North Ferriby to Weighton Lock 32 more sustainable or to counter Unit 4a Weighton Lock to Boothferry Bridge 34 the effects of sea level rise, and 2. — Developing the strategy 12 Unit 4b Boothferry Bridge to Dutch River 36 supported the creation of new Objectives 12 Units 4c and 4d Dutch River to Keadby Bridge 38 inter-tidal habitat to maintain the The development process 12 Unit 4e Keadby Bridge to Whitton 40 estuary’s conservation status. Consultations 14 Unit 5 Whitton to South Ferriby Cliff 42 Principal findings 14 Unit 6 Barton Cliff to East Halton Skitter 44 Since the HESMP was published the implications of sea level Unit 7 East Halton Skitter to Cleethorpes 46 the next 50 years. The works rise and compliance with the If you have any comments or 3. — The Humber flood risk management strategy 16 Unit 8 Cleethorpes to Saltfleet Haven 48 for the next 5 years have been Habitats Regulations have been suggestions about the strategy Overall strategy 16 assessed in greater detail. Replacing lost habitat (managed realignment) 18 Studies undertaken and supporting reports 50 clarified and a set of sites that or about any aspects of the Flood storage (managed realignment 19 Names, organisations and abbreviations 52 will meet the various realignment The need for a strategy and works to be carried out during and differential standards) Consultations and contact arrangements 54 needs over the next 50 years the way in which it has been the next five years please Low standards of protection 20 has been identified. A long-term developed are set out in Sections respond as suggested inside Work planned for the next 15 years 20 programme of the works needed 1 and 2 of this document. Section the back cover. to manage the defences over the 3 describes the strategy itself same period has been drawn and the works to be carried up. We have reviewed plans for out during the next 15 years the next 15 years and confirmed while Section 4 states what will priorities. Using this information happen next. Section 5 sets out we have developed our broad the implications for each of the framework for managing the compartments into which the estuary’s defences into a floodplain has been divided for comprehensive strategy covering management purposes. 4 Environment Agency The Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy Environment Agency The Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy 5 Section 1 why have a strategy? Land use and development Killingholme, Immingham and Development Frameworks. Flood defences and defence which can cause soft defences to in reasonable condition and provide Grimsby, near Hull and at Goole The Yorkshire and Humber be washed out and fail if too large an adequate standard of protection The estuary’s defences protect standards and Flixborough. These include Assembly’s Regional Economic a volume of water washes over the this is not the case everywhere, as nearly 90,000 ha of land from power stations generating much Strategy indicates that the The floodplain is protected from crest. Defences may fail for other flooding, about 85% of which is shown on the maps on the next of the country’s electricity, flooding by a mixture of soft and hard farmed and is among the best estuary, its assets and its reasons as well, such as undermining page. Repairs are needed in some refineries producing much of its tidal defences with a total length of and most productive agricultural hinterland are integral to the due to erosion of the foreshore or a places while elsewhere works are about 235 km.