Previous Conference The 82nd ADA Conference 2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018 REPORT

The 81st Annual Conference and AGM of the Association of Drainage Authorities was held on 14 November at One Great George Street in Westminster, London. This report presents an extended summary of the Conference proceedings. The report includes Association business, reports from the Board, Committees and Chief Executive, keynote presentations, and a summary of the open discussion forum.

WELCOME BY ROBERT CAUDWELL Sue Hayman was elected in 2015, just six Robert welcomed over 220 delegates months before Storm Desmond hit her to the Conference, as well as a number constituency of in December. of students from the Flood and Coastal Engineering programme at Brunel In her opening address to the ADA University, who had been invited as guests. Conference, Sue described the shocking He said it was important delegates from impact this had had on her community in across ADA’s membership were here to just before Christmas. Sue herself make their views known right into the was trapped at home for over 24 hours heart of Westminster. Robert thanked the and fortunate to escape flooding, but saw Conference Sponsors, ADA’s Associate first-hand the sadness it had brought to the Members, Tony Gee and the Risk Factor. people of and surrounding areas. She paid tribute to how hard Robert explained that ADA had been members of the local community, charities working really hard in 2018 on the concept and authorities pulled together in the of holistic water management and drew out aftermath. for particular praise the work of members managed water resources through a dry She highlighted the emotional toll of the and challenging summer. He highlighted event, noting a Barnardo’s report, which that this work should not be in times of found that in some areas of Cumbria, crisis, but working together in partnership nearly half of those children’s biggest fear throughout the year, every year, given that was flooding. Suicide rates had risen faster climate change isn’t something that might in the county than anywhere else in the happen in the future, but was happening country. Emphasising the need for greater now. mental health support long after such a critical event, with sufficient funding for Robert welcomed Sue Hayman MP to give these services. the opening keynote address. Sue recognised the importance for keeping KEYNOTE ADDRESSES flooding issues at the top of the public SUE HAYMAN MP, SHADOW and political agenda once the waters SECRETARY OF STATE FOR recede. Throughout her presentation Sue ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL emphasised the need to work cross party AFFAIRS on flooding, especially in and following

ww.ada.org.uk The 82nd ADA Conference 2019 Previous Conference an emergency situation, and was grateful Concluding her address, Sue said: “If we’re to other local MPs for helping to keep genuinely going to manage flooding to the issue live and in the attention of the best we possibly can, then I genuinely Government with her. She paid tribute to believe we all need to work together.” Thérèse Coffey MP for always taking the time with local MPs on the issue. ROBERT HÖSSEN, EXPERT IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT, VEILIGHEIDSREGIO Turning to flood risk management, Sue NOORD-HOLLAND NOORD drew attention to how defences had (VRNHN) not been designed to be resilient against Robert described how emergencies an event like Storm Desmond, highways such as flooding are coordinated in the drainage had suffered as a result of cuts Netherlands, where sixty per cent of the to local authorities, and how previous country is at flood risk, including nine activities by local farmers and residents to million people living at or below sea level, keep watercourses clear of excess gravel along with the area earning around 70% and rubble had ceased over time, with this of the country’s gross domestic product material now blocking drains. Sue felt that: (GDP). “We need to understand more about how we actually manage river management for The organisation Robert works for is the best of the community without then primarily focused on providing emergency causing environmental damage. Because services like ambulances, fire and rescue if we’re not careful, if farmers or riparian on a day to day basis. But Robert works owners aren’t allowed to do something on the crisis management side, looking at legitimately, they may well go in and just do the coordination and planning for major something anyway and that may not be the emergencies. He spoke about aspects of a best thing we need.” national project, over the past five years, to start to re-evaluate and rekindle the spirit Sue raised concerns around how the around flooding. current funding formula works for rural areas, like Cumbria, with a sparse population. Robert described how severe events She said that “when you’re looking at in 1916 had preceded the closing of the asset damage and cost, you need to also Zuiderzee to form the Ijssel lake, and consider how often a property floods and in 1953, the Delta Works around the how deep it floods”, and that this idea had Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. These events been put forward in a proposal by all six had framed the modern Dutch approach Cumbrian MPs to Ministers. She also noted to tackling flood risk, and today they are that procurement for work completed continued through the Delta Programme. post-flooding meant that contractors were With these efforts many in the Netherlands travelling from hundreds of miles for tasks felt that they were now safe and that the that could have been done by local trades, job was done. letting down local businesses.

Representing drainage water level & flood risk management authorities Previous Conference The 82nd ADA Conference 2019

However, as Robert said “I might disillusion the vital importance of local & interregional them.” He played a trailer from a series coordination & governance, before, during called ‘When the Dikes Break’ that aired and after such events. on Dutch TV in 2016, raising awareness amongst the population of the intrinsic risks He said that the next phase they were they face despite their substantial defences undertaking was to look in more depth and 1.2% of GDP annual investment. at peoples behaviours. If they are warned a major flood is coming, how do they Robert showed a computer model of respond? During such events, how would how a storm surge passes from the people move around? Would it be in a Atlantic onto the Dutch continental shelf, controlled or uncontrolled way? And what demonstrating how the North Sea acts implications would this have for mass as a funnel during such events significantly evacuation? And then in the recovery elevating sea levels. But Robert emphasised phase, not only in terms of physical support that the sea was not the only flood risk at but also just as importantly mental support. play in the Netherlands. Events in 1995, where flooding from high river discharges Robert closed with a desire to continue to from the Rhine and Maas resulted in the work together and learn from one another, evacuation of around 250,000 people, regardless of Brexit. had triggered a new programme that is integrating a multi-layered safety approach JOHN CURTIN, EXECUTIVE to Dutch flood risk management. It is DIRECTOR OF FLOOD AND made up of primary defences and their COASTAL RISK MANAGEMENT, management and maintenance, but also ENVIRONMENT AGENCY spatial planning ensuring that other areas John focused his presentation on climate are resilient, and that crisis management is change as a prelude to the release of in order. The latter is concentrated on those UKCP18, the new predictions for how areas where you will never get defences up climate change is going to affect the UK in due to cost or other reasons. terms of precipitation, temperature and sea level rise. Robert explained how his region of North Holland had taken a lead on civic To begin John showed a video by two young coordination planning for local government. filmmakers in Greenland, who captured They had modelled breach event scenarios the largest ever calving of a glacier ever looking at what would happen in terms filmed. The size of which was comparable of infrastructure, services and people. with Lower Manhattan, New York. John The approach was inclusive, involving a explained that the rule of thumb was that wide range of people and stakeholders every one per cent of land locked ice lost to brainstorm an effective impact analysis. in Greenland or Antarctica, gives one metre What was evident from the analysis of sea level rise. presentation that Robert showed were the cascade effects of a breach. It demonstrated John articulated that Government is taking

ww.ada.org.uk The 82nd ADA Conference 2019 Previous Conference climate change seriously, and that river on a single storm basis, but also consider flooding, surface water flooding and coastal the impacts of a cluster of storms, even flooding were all right at the top of the relatively smaller ones, coming in such Cabinet Office’s national risk assessment for close succession that you do not have the natural hazards. He highlighted how far we time to release the capacity in either your have already come, noting improvements to flood storage area or the land that’s been our infrastructure, forecasting and warnings. flooded. These contributed to the difference in impact between the 1953 East Coast tidal John finished by highlighting the value of surge event that killed 307 people, in the the data UKCP18 will bring to flood and United Kingdom and the 2013 event. water managers, and the ongoing work by the Environment Agency to shape He contrasted our approach to rising sea the National FCERM Strategy, which he levels in the UK with those of Sweden called an “opportunity probably once in a and Japan, both of which he had visited generation to really reset the thinking in earlier in the year. In Sweden he noted this country.” He finished with the words of that despite being a nation noted for the an American expert on sea level rise who state helping people more than most, the had told him that: ‘Humanity is rarely lucky country did not have an overall national enough to know something will happen. strategy and individual climate scenario The choice is how we use the time that planning is left to the provinces. Individual knowledge has given us.’ property owners pay for the majority of coastal flood defences, and indeed many of DAVID COOPER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR these defences constructed over 100 years FOR FLOOD AND COASTAL ago were actually built out of compacted EROSION RISK MANAGEMENT, seaweed. DEFRA David presented a review of policy matters In Japan, 75 per cent of all properties are from 2018, which have contributed to at risk of some form of flooding, and 45 Defra’s multi-layered approach to flood per cent from coastal flood risk. Yet they do and water management. The year started not have any scenarios for climate change. with the launch of the 25 Year Environment Instead they take a highly engineered Plan in January, which included the approach to flood and coastal risk. John Government’s ambitions for improving the showed photos of one town of 5,000 environment, and goals to try to manage people where they had lifted everything, natural hazards and resources. buildings and the land, by five metres. On water resources, David explained that Turning to look at future rainfall patterns, the Plan talked about a dual approach, John noted that over the winter of 2013/14 seeking to reduce demand pressures and we had 12 storms in quick succession. This increase supply. Defra intend to publish demonstrated the need to not only look a water conservation report later in the at the capacity of our pumps or defences year, as well as a National Policy Statement

Representing drainage water level & flood risk management authorities Previous Conference The 82nd ADA Conference 2019 on water supply infrastructure, which David concluded on matters directly will include streamlining strategic water affecting IDBs. He stressed their role was transfers within the planning process. vital as part of a partnership approach to the challenges that had been mentioned Defra are challenging water companies in the preceding presentations. Defra to ensure their draft water resource Ministers were supportive of legislation management plans are fit for purpose, that would enable the establishment of and OFWAT will be ensuring that water new IDBs and put the Somerset Rivers companies have made plans for the Authority on a statutory footing, but David necessary investment between 2020 and noted the challenges of this Bill receiving 2025. Defra were keen to create a stronger sufficient parliamentary time. regional sense of water resource planning, including potential legislative measures. David was delighted with the Good Governance Guide that’s been put On flood risk management, David together, commending it to ADA members highlighted the 22 actions within the as a really useful document. He said that Government’s Surface Water Management Defra were going to build on the Guide Action Plan, and the revised National with some research into IDB membership Planning Policy Framework, both published and board membership, with a survey in July. Defra will be following up on coming out shortly. David reinforced that these with more detailed planning policy having transparent governance, good guidance on flood risk management. administrative processes, and strong David noted that the Agriculture Bill, representation back into local authorities which entered parliament in September, and communities is about reinforcing the contains provisions to pay farmers and land trust between IDBs and the communities managers to help manage natural disasters they serve. He encouraged everyone to like flooding and coastal erosion. Whilst look through it and use it. the Budget from October contained a further £13 million of funding to support CHAIRMAN’S AWARDS 2018 the uptake of property resilience measures, Robert presented for the first time provide better mapping and data on surface chairman’s awards to people who have water flood risk, and thirdly, extend flood provided outstanding support to ADA, our alerts to all communities in high risk areas. sector, and water management in general.

Looking ahead towards 2019, Defra would These awards were presented to: be responding to Major General Tim Cross’s review of emergency planning arrangements, Ian Russell from the Environment Agency and preparing a Policy Statement setting out for his work on partnership working the government’s direction of travel around between risk management authorities and FCERM. This would act as an important in particular the public sector cooperation prelude to the Environment Agency’s agreements which have really changed our updated National Strategy. industry in a positive way.

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Cliff Carson from the Middle Level Medway Council and North Kent Commissioners for his instrumental work Marshes IDB) in changing our view that conservation and • The role of landscaping and trees in good water level management can go hand flood management (Vanessa McPake, in hand and his work developing ideas and Buckinghamshire & River Ouzel IDB guidance that give nature an edge in our and Anglian Central RFCC) lowland watercourses. ASSOCIATION BUSINESS & AGM OPEN DISCUSSION FORUM Following the Conference presentations ELECTIONS there was an open forum to enable Robert Caudwell was unanimously re- members to raise questions and discuss elected as ADA’s Chairman. relevant topics with speakers and other experts in attendance. Lord De Ramsey was unanimously re- elected as ADA’s President along with Topics raised by delegates included: ADA’s Vice Presidents; Baroness McIntosh, Neil Parish MP, David Riddington OBE, • Investment and funding for pumping Jean Venables CBE, and Henry Cator OBE. stations and watercourse maintenance These were proposed by Councillor Doug (John Duggleby, North Holderness IDB McMurdo (Bedford & River Ivel IDB) and / Charles Pudge, River Lugg IDB / Tony seconded by Charles Pudge (River Lugg Bradford, Parrett IDB) IDB). • Management of water resources (Lord De Ramsey, President, ADA / Jane ACCOUNTS Burch, Suffolk County Council) The audited accounts for the year ending • Surface water management planning, 31 December 2017 were presented to the importance of keeping outfalls clear Conference and approved by a majority (Paul Barnes, North West RFCC) show of hands. • River Don condition and flow rates (John Duckett, Danvm Drainage SUBSCRIPTIONS Commissioners) The subscriptions for 2019 proposed by • International cooperation in climate ADA Board of Directors were presented and environmental challenges to the Conference as reported in the (Catherine Nankumba, Brunel Conference Handbook. There was an University) increase of 2% for ADA Members’ • Engagement between local resilience subscription fees. The subscriptions were forums and local risk management proposed by Trevor Purllant (Welland & authorities (Jonathan Goolden, Wilkin Deepings IDB) and seconded by Priscilla Chapman Solicitors LLP) Haselhurst (Medway Council and North • Greater opportunities for partnership Kent Marshes IDB) and approved, there working under the next National was one vote against the increase noted. FCERM Strategy (Priscilla Haselhurst,

Representing drainage water level & flood risk management authorities Previous Conference The 82nd ADA Conference 2019

MEMBERSHIP members stay in touch by completing ADA’s membership in 2018 was noted as a Communication Form to ensure the reported in the Conference Handbook Association remained compliant under the as 106 IDBs, 5 national agencies, 1 water new General Data Protection Regulations company, 6 Welsh internal drainage district (GDPR). advisory groups, 12 RFCCs, 29 Local Authorities, and 64 Associate Members. AUDIT The auditors Streets Audit LLP were REPORTS FROM ADA’S BOARD OF reappointed as auditors of ADA’s 2018 DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES accounts as proposed by Henry Cator The 2018 reports from ADA’s Board of (Broads IDB) and seconded by Jean Directors, Policy & Finance Committee, Venables (Vice President, ADA). and Technical & Environmental Committee were tabled in the Conference Handbook.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Innes Thomson introduced his report and that of the Board of Directors and ADA’s Committees as presented within the Conference Handbook. Innes highlighted the support ADA had received from its members during 2018 and the hard work of ADA’s staff. Innes was proud of the work that had gone into producing a comprehensive Good Governance Guide for IDB members and thanked Iain Smith as the principal author and Defra for their support. Innes reported that in 2020 ADA intended to appoint a new technical member of staff and a new working relationship with the Association of SuDS Authorities (ASA) that would be launching in April 2019.

Turning to events Innes highlighted the upcoming FLOODEX 2019 exhibition and the work of ADA’s branches to have a presence at regional agricultural shows such as the Great Show and Lincolnshire Show. Innes concluded by highlighting the importance of communication, and requested that

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