River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan Summary Report December 2010 Managing Flood Risk We Are the Environment Agency
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan Summary Report December 2010 managing flood risk We are the Environment Agency. It’s our job to look after your environment and make it a better place – for you, and for future generations. Your environment is the air you breathe, the water you drink and the ground you walk on. Working with business, Government and society as a whole, we are making your environment cleaner and healthier. The Environment Agency. Out there, making your environment a better place. Published by: Environment Agency Sapphire East 550 Streetsbrook Road, Solihull, B91 1QT Tel: 0870 8506506 Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk © Environment Agency All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. December 2010 Introduction I am pleased to introduce our summary of the River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP). This CFMP gives an overview of the flood risk in the River Trent catchment and sets out our preferred plan for sustainable flood risk management over the next 50 to 100 years. The River Trent CFMP is one of 77 CFMPs for England properties (both residential and commercial) and and Wales. Through the CFMPs, we have assessed 45,473 people at risk in the catchment in a 1% inland flood risk across all of England and Wales for flood event. However, it is expected that both of these the first time. The CFMP considers all types of inland figures could rise quite significantly within the next flooding, from rivers, ground water, surface water 50 to 100 years by which point some 62,027 properties and tidal flooding, but not flooding directly from the and 134,206 people could be affected by flooding in a sea (coastal flooding), which is covered by Shoreline 1% event. Management Plans (SMPs). Our coverage of surface We cannot reduce flood risk on our own, we will and ground water is however limited due to a lack of therefore work closely with all our partners to improve available information. the co-ordination of flood risk activities and agree The role of CFMPs is to establish flood risk management the most effective way to manage flood risk in policies which will deliver sustainable flood risk the future. Amongst others, Local Authorities, Natural management for the long term. This is essential if we England, the Forestry Commission, the National are to make the right investment decisions for the Farmers Union (NFU), the National Park Authority, and future and to help prepare ourselves effectively for a number of Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) have been the impact of climate change. We will use CFMPs to involved in the formulation of this plan. help us target our limited resources where the risks This is a summary of the main CFMP document, if you are greatest. need to see the full document an electronic version This CFMP identifies flood risk management policies to can be obtained by emailing enquiries@environment- assist all key decision makers in the catchment. It was agency.gov.uk alternatively paper copies can be produced through a wide consultation and appraisal viewed at any of our offices in Midlands. process, however it is only the first step towards an integrated approach to Flood Risk Management. As we all work together to achieve our objectives, we must monitor and listen to each other's progress, discuss what has been achieved and consider where we may need to review parts of the CFMP. The River Trent catchment area has a long history of river, tidal and surface water flooding. At present it Mark Sitton-Kent is estimated that there are approximately 22,851 Director - Midlands Environment Agency River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan 1 Contents The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk 3 Catchment overview 4 Current and future flood risk 6 Future direction for flood risk management 10 Sub areas 1 Axholme and North West Lincolnshire 12 2 Sherwood 14 3 Peaks and Moorlands 16 4 Shelford to Gainsborough 18 5 Burton, Derby and Nottingham 20 6 Mid Staffs and Lower Tame 22 7 West Staffs 24 8 Rural Leicestershire 26 9 Upper Soar and Upper Anker 28 10 Birmingham and Black Country 30 Map of CFMP policies 32 2 Environment Agency River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk CFMPs help us to understand the • IDBs, water companies and CFMPs aim to promote more scale and extent of flooding now other utilities to help plan their sustainable approaches to managing and in the future, and set policies activities in the wider context flood risk. The policies identified in for managing flood risk within the of the catchment; the CFMP will be delivered through a catchment. CFMPs should be used combination of different approaches. • Transportation planners; to inform planning and decision Together with our partners, we making by key stakeholders such as: • Land owners, farmers and will implement these approaches land managers that manage through a range of delivery plans, • The Environment Agency, who will and operate land for projects and actions. use the plan to guide decisions agriculture, conservation on investment in further plans, The relationship between the CFMP, and amenity purposes; projects or actions; delivery plans, strategies, projects • The public and businesses to and actions is shown in figure 1. • Local authorities who can use the enhance their understanding plan to inform spatial planning of flood risk and how it will activities and emergency be managed. planning; Figure 1: The relationship between CFMPs, delivery plans, projects and actions Policy planning • CFMPs and Shoreline Management Plans. • Action plans define requirement for delivery plans, projects and actions. Policy delivery plans (see note) Projects and actions • Influence spatial planning to reduce risk • Make sure our spending delivers the best and restore floodplains. possible outcomes. • Prepare for and manage floods • Focus on risk based targets, for example (including local Flood Warning plans). numbers of households at risk. • Managing assets. • Water level management plans. • Land management and habitat creation. Note: Some plans may not be led by us – we may • Surface water management plans. identify the need and encourage their development. Environment Agency River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan 3 Catchment overview The River Trent CFMP covers the conurbation, Stoke-on-Trent, The CFMP area also has national entire River Trent Catchment from its Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. and international significance for source above Stoke-on-Trent down nature conservation with rivers and The physical characteristics of to Keadby Bridge. Beyond this the other habitats of high ecological the catchment vary significantly, River Trent flows into the Humber importance. Designations in the including both low lying ground, Estuary. The CFMP area includes catchment include 316 Sites of such as the broad flat flood plains all of the River Trent’s tributaries, Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), of the Tame and Trent, and steep covering an area of 10,452km2. 17 of which fall within the 1% dramatic landscape, such as that Major tributaries join the Trent from flood outline, including entire in the Peak District National Park three main areas: watercourses such as the River in the northwest of the CFMP area. Blythe and the River Eye SSSIs and We also find that the geology, • The Peak District extensive wetland areas, such as soil types and land use changes (Dove, Derwent and Erewash). the River Idle Washlands, and the considerably throughout the Humberhead Peatlands SSSIs. Two • Central Midlands catchment. Impervious upland Special Protection Areas (SPA), 15 (Sow, Tame and Soar). areas with thin, less productive Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), soils change into flatter, lowland • Lower catchment and one Ramsar site (Cop Mere mudstones with loamy soils. (Torne and Idle). – part of the Midlands Meres & Here agriculture is an important Mosses) also fall within the current Although 70% of the land use industry. As a result, the response 1% flood outline. The landscape in within the River Trent CFMP area is to rainfall and mechanisms the catchment is also designated agricultural, it is home to around of flooding vary immensely. for its importance. There are two six million people, containing It is important to understand statutory landscape designations in much of the metropolitan area of this variation when assessing the CFMP area, Cannock Chase Area Birmingham, which is the second flood risk, and in determining of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and largest city in the UK. The other appropriate means of managing the Peak District National Park of main urban areas of the catchment the flood risk. which less than 2.5% fall within the include the West Midlands current 1% flood outline. River Churnet, near Leek 4 Environment Agency River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan Map 1: Location and extent of River Trent CFMP Area Environment Agency River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan 5 Current and future flood risk Overview of the current were flooded in Girton alone. The distribution of flood risk from a 1% annual probability river flood, flood risk The most severe tidal flooding is illustrated in Map 2. Table 1 took place in October/November Flood risk has two components: summarises where there is flood 1954 as a result of a series of tidal the chance (probability) of a risk to more than 100 properties. surges, breaching defences on the particular flood and the impact (or We recognise that there is also a tidal River Trent. consequence) that the flood would potential risk from surface water have if it happened. The probability What is at risk? and groundwater flooding. Surface of a flood relates to the likelihood of water flooding is most associated a flood of that size occurring within Using a broadscale hydraulic with the steeper upland areas a one year period, it is expressed model we estimate that there are such as at Buxton, Stoke-on-Trent as a percentage.