River Adur Catchment Flood Management Plan Appendices
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River Adur Catchment Flood Management Plan Appendices Environment Agency River Adur CFMP Draft Plan - Appendix B (March 2007) Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................................i Appendix A: Responsibilities for Flood Risk Management and Associated Activities................................. 1 Appendix B: Environmental Report and Policy Appraisal Tables................................................................ 3 Environment Agency River Adur CFMP (September 2008) i Appendix A: Responsibilities for Flood Risk Management and Associated Activities The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has overall responsibility for flood risk management in England. Their aim is to reduce flood risk by: • Discouraging inappropriate development in areas at risk from flooding. • Encourage the provision of adequate and cost effective flood warning systems. • Encourage the provision of adequate technically, environmentally and economically sound and sustainable flood defence measures. The Government’s Foresight Programme has recently produced a report called Future Flooding, which warns that the risk of flooding will increase between 2 and 20 fold over the next 75 years. The report produced by the Office of Science and Technology has a long-term vision for the future (2030 – 2100), helping to ensure effective strategies are developed now. Sir David King, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government (2000 to 2007) concluded: “continuing with existing policies is not an option – in virtually every scenario considered (for climate change), the risks grow to unacceptable levels. Secondly, the risk needs to be tackled across a broad front. However, this is unlikely to be sufficient in itself. Hard choices need to be taken – we must either invest in more sustainable approaches to flood and coastal management or learn to live with increasing flooding”. In response to this, Defra is leading the development of a new strategy for flood and coastal erosion for the next 20 years. This programme, called “Making Space for Water” will help define and set the agenda for the Government’s future strategic approach to flood risk. Within this strategy there will be a holistic approach to the assessment of options through a strong and continuing commitment to CFMPs and SMPs within a broader planning matrix, which will include River Basin Management Plans prepared under the Water Framework Directive and Integrated Coastal Zone Management. We take the lead role in preparing Catchment Flood Management Plans (CFMPs). We recognise that all key organisations and decision makers must work together to plan and take action to reduce flood risk. Consultation with other authorities, organisations and groups has been carried out in order that the plan can be adopted as a way forward for flood risk management in the catchment. The development of the CFMP has been supported by a Steering Group with representatives from the following organisations: • Adur District Council • Arun District Council • Brighton and Hove County Council • Defra • Natural England • Environment Agency • Horsham District Council • Mid Sussex District Council • Southern Water • West Sussex County Council Consultation has also taken place with a number of other organisations including the National Farmers Union, RSPB, Sussex Downs Conservation Board, High Weald AONB, National Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Highways Agency and members of the public. Environment Agency River Adur CFMP - Appendix A (September 2008) 1 The Environment Agency’s role in flood risk management Since its formation in 1996, the Environment Agency has taken a lead role in flood risk management within England and Wales. Within this CFMP area, we also perform the role of Internal Drainage Board (IDB) with responsibility for land drainage issues. We provide information on flood likelihood on the internet Flood Map. The map shows areas that would be affected by flooding from the rivers or the sea without defences. The flood extent shown on the Flood Map refers to Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3 as defined in PPS25. A Flood Risk Assessment is required by Local Planning Authorities when a planning application is made within Flood Zones 2 and 3. We are a statutory consultee on development plans and other aspects of development control within the land use planning system. The department of the Communities and Local Government has issued guidance in relation to flood risk and planning (PPS25), which stipulates a “risk based sequential search” for assessing development within the catchment. This guides the approach of planning authorities to land use allocation, and has a significant impact on development at both local and regional scale. It is therefore essential that the CFMP is compatible as well as supportive of this process. It should be noted that the CFMP does not replace a strategic flood risk assessment, which is a more detailed assessment of flood risk in relation to development and planning. We are also responsible for flood warning. We provide an online Flood Warning Service for designated Flood Warning Areas in England and Wales that is automatically updated every 15 minutes. Flood warning makes an important contribution to reducing the impact of flooding and can be particularly effective where confidence in the prediction of rising river levels is high, allowing sufficient time for an effective response both by the public and emergency services. We work with Sussex Police, West Sussex Fire Brigade, Sussex Ambulance Service, West Sussex County Council, district councils, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and local community groups to co-ordinate responses to fluvial and coastal flooding. Our flood defence work aims to protect people and property and improve the environment. The Environment Act 1995 and the Water Resources Act 1991 give the Environment Agency certain powers to carry out works on ‘main’ river watercourses for flood defence purposes. These powers are permissive and allow us to determine how and where work is carried out according to priority and available resources. Environment Agency River Adur CFMP - Appendix A (September 2008) 2 Appendix B: Environmental Report and Policy Appraisal Tables Contents Non-Technical Summary B1 Introduction and Background B1.1 The purpose of SEA B1.2 The Catchment Flood Management Plan B1.3 Structure of the report appendix B2 Consultation B3 Environmental Context B3.1 Policy, plan and programme review B3.2 Baseline review B3.3 Scope of the SEA and environmental objectives B4 Assessment and evaluation of environmental effects B4.1 Strategic options and appraisal process B4.2 Assessment and evaluation of impacts B4.3 Cumulative environmental effects B4.4 Mitigation and enhancement B4.5 Monitoring requirements References List of Figures Figure B1 Preferred Policy Options for the Adur CFMP Figure B2 The location of the Adur Catchment Flood Management Plan. Figure B3 How the CFMP fits with the wider planning framework List of Tables Table B1 Summary of consultation undertaken during the development of the CFMP Table B2 Review of policies, plans, and programmes and relevance to the CFMP Table B3 Scope of the SEA in relation to the CFMP Table B4 Definition of policy options Table B5 Summary of cumulative issues List of Forms (Appraisal tables in Section B4.2) Form B.1 Purpose of the CFMP Form B.2 Meeting Legal Requirements Form B.3a Summary of Flood Risks Form B.3b Source-pathway-receptor table Form B.4 CFMP Policy Options Form B.5 Summary of current and future level and response to flood risk Form B.6 Appraisal of Policy Options against Policy Option Objectives Form B.7 Summary of the Losses and Gains Form B.8 Summary of the Preferred Policy Form B.9 Requirements for further policy development and appraisal Form B.10 Indicators for Monitoring, Review and Evaluation Form B.11 Signature of CFMP Project Manager Environment Agency River Adur CFMP – Appendix B (September 2008) 3 Non-Technical Summary We are developing the Adur Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP) in order to establish long-term (50 - 100 years) policies for sustainable flood risk management. Our policies are at the highest level in our hierarchy of spatial flood risk management plans and are about setting the right strategic direction so that in the future we take the best and most sustainable approach to managing flood risk to people, the environment and the economy. These policies will not set specific measures to reduce flood risk or establish how to manage flooding issues in a catchment. Although not a legal requirement, we are undertaking strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as part of our planning process in order to demonstrate how our plan takes account of the environment and, in particular, the likely significant environmental effects of the CFMP. The CFMP involves: ••• working with key partners and decision makers to establish long-term policies for sustainable flood risk management; • carrying out a strategic assessment of current and future flood risk from all sources (such as rivers, sewers, groundwater and the sea) within the catchment, understanding both the likelihood and consequence of flooding and the effect of current ways of reducing risk. We measure the scale of risk in social, environmental and economic terms; • considering how the catchment works, and looking at other policies, plans and programmes to identify opportunities and constraints to achieving