North Western Flood Risk Management Plan You can get a copy of this document in other formats, such as: • Large print • Braille • Audio CD • Computer disk • Other languages To get a copy of this document in another format contact Rivers Agency at: Tel: (028) 902 53355 Fax: (028) 902 53455 Email: [email protected] Version 1: 22 December 2015 2 Foreword There have been a number of very significant flood events during the last ten years which have had severe impacts on homes and businesses throughout the Province highlighting the vulnerability of many communities to flooding. These are clear reminders of our reliance on our critical infrastructure so the finalisation of these Flood Risk Management Plans is to be warmly welcomed. Climate change projections indicate that we should expect more heavy rain in the future and so flood risk is also likely to increase. Add to this the fact that sea levels are rising and it can be quickly concluded that flood risk must be proactively managed across government, with meaningful engagement with communities that are vulnerable to flooding. If the weather events we have experienced recently become more common, then planning for flooding is critically important. The EU Directive on, “the Assessment and Management of Flood Risk” was introduced in 2007 and is widely referred to as the ‘Floods Directive’. This legislation has been transposed into local regulations and it sets out a systematic approach to managing flood risk. Firstly it requires Member States to carry out a national risk assessment to understand the flood hazards and, using this information, to identify the most vulnerable areas. It then requires the production and publication of flood hazard and flood risk maps for those areas. Thirdly, and most importantly for those adversely affected by flooding, is the production and publication of these Plans which set out objectives and measures to manage the risks of flooding in a sustainable way. The Directive then requires these steps to be repeated on a six yearly cycle so that there is a process for refreshing our understanding of the risks and demonstrating where improvements to reduce such risks have been made. A Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment was completed in 2011 and this identified twenty ‘Significant Flood Risk Areas’; Flood Hazard and Risk Maps for these areas were published in 2014. These two steps have considerably enhanced our understanding of flood risk and this information is already being used to educate those communities at greatest risk about their vulnerability. The focus on ‘Significant Flood Risk Areas’ has highlighted the need for works to enhance flood protection within a number of our principal towns and cities and this is currently shaping our construction programme and informing our bids for capital funding. Planning policies together with the detailed flood maps are key to taking informed decisions on land use planning. These Plans also outline improvements in the emergency response to flooding and how flood warning and informing engagement activities with those at known flood risk, will help communities become more resilient to flooding. The process of developing these Flood Risk Management Plans has also been important. It has provided numerous opportunities for information on flood risk to be shared with others for discussion to take place on alternative methods of flood mitigation and for the wider impacts on the environment to be better understood. 3 These discussions have led to this very comprehensive document which will underpin the ongoing management of flood risk during a period when public expenditure is likely to be under continual downward pressure. Extensive engagement with both the public and interested parties through a number of stakeholder groups and flood forums has also enabled those whose job it is to manage flood risk on a daily basis, to understand specific local needs. We have worked closely with the Department of Environment as the Flood Risk Management Plans need to have regard to the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) so that both Plans achieve a wise use of resources. Close working with colleagues in the Department for Regional Development has been required as we have developed a shared understanding of flood risk from different sources. This has also refined our collective understanding of the various roles and responsibilities in managing this risk. There is more work required in this area but we have started and the formation of the new Department for Infrastructure containing Rivers Agency, Transport NI and NI Water can only improve how we address and manage flood risk. Importantly, we share two of our 3 river basins, North Western and Neagh Bann, with the Republic of Ireland and the Plans have been coordinated with the Office of Public Works (OPW) in the Republic of Ireland, through a structured programme of engagement. We fully recognise the importance of the water environment in which we work and a Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulatory Assessment (HRA) have been carried out on the Flood Risk Management Plans. This is a necessary requirement and the attached Environmental Report, SEA and HRA documents and Appendices set out the findings. I hope that readers find these first Flood Risk Management Plans informative and I look forward to seeing the benefits of their implementation and further development over this initial 6-year Planning cycle. David Porter Chief Executive Rivers Agency 4 5 Acknowledgments Rivers Agency is grateful to all of the organisations that have supported, contributed to and helped develop these Flood Risk Management Plans. These include: • Floods Directive Steering Group • Flood Investment Planning Group (FIPG) • Northern Ireland Water (NIW) • DRD Transport NI • DRD Water Policy Division • DOE Northern Ireland Environment Agency The Agency acknowledges the support and contribution made by members of the following consultative groups and organisations: • Local Flood Forums • Floods Directive Stakeholder Group • Critical Infrastructure Stakeholder Group • Respondents to the draft Flood Risk Management Plans 6 List of Abbreviations AEP Annual Exceedance Probability ASSI Area of Significant Scientific Interest AOD Above Ordnance Datum BRA Belfast Royal Academy CPD Central Procurement Directive DARD Department of Agriculture and Rural Development DRD Department for Regional Development DOE Department of Environment FIPG Flood Investment and Planning Group FRMP Flood Risk Management Plan FRISM Flood Risk Metric Tool GIS Geographical Information System HEC-RAS Hydrologic Engineering Center - River Analysis System ICM Integrated Catchment Model IPPC Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control ISIS Integrated Spectrographic Innovative Software LFMA Local Flood Management Area LGD Led Government Department LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging LMA Local Management Area NIEA Northern Ireland Environment Agency NPV Net Present Value Nr Number PFRA Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment PPS 15 Planning Policy Statement 15 RBD River Basin District RCRG Regional Community Resilience Group RRA Reservoir Risk Area SAAR Standard Annual Average Rainfall SFRA Significant Flood Risk Area SOF Standard of Protection WFD Water Framework Directive 7 8 Table of Contents Page No 1. Introduction 1.1 Flood Risk Management Plans 13 2 Background/Context 2.1 Sources of flooding 17 2.2 Flood Risk Information 19 2.3 Legislative Context 19 2.4 Broader Legislative and Policy Context 22 3 Objectives and Measures for Managing Flood Risk 3.1 The Flood Risk Management Plan Objectives 31 3.2 The Flood Risk Management Plans – Measures 32 4 Floods Directive Implementation 4.1 Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (completed 22 December 45 2012) 4.2 Flood Maps 53 4.3 Communication and Engagement 59 4.4 Flood Risk Management Organisations 65 4.5 Flood Risk Management Groups 69 5. North West 5.1 River Basin Overview 75 5.2 Areas of Significant Flood Risk 75 5.3 Omagh Significant Flood Risk Area – Strule LMA 77 5.4 Strabane Significant Flood Risk Area – Finn, Deele, Burndennet 102 and Foyle LMA 5.5 Londonderry Significant Flood Risk Area – River Foyle and River 121 Faughan LMAs 6 Implementation 6.1 Prevention 153 6.2 Protection 154 6.3 Preparedness 156 7. Overview of Measures and Costs of Implementation 7.1 Regional Measures – An Overview 159 7.2 Costs of implementing Flood Risk Management Plans 167 8 8.1 Monitoring 179 8.2 Reviewing 179 9. 9.1 Next Steps 183 9.2 Conclusion 183 9 Appendices Appendix A List of Consultees 187 Appendix B Consultation Response Form 190 Appendix C Equality and Human Rights Screening Template 194 Appendix D Flood Waning and Informing initiatives for Northern Ireland 208 Appendix E Regional Community Resilience Group and Outline of 210 Group Activities Appendix F Reservoirs Bill – Background and Legislative Development 212 Appendix G Civil Contingencies Multi-Agency Preparedness Structures 216 with a role in Flooding Emergencies Appendix H Flood Risk Management Plans – Objectives and Measures 218 Template Appendix I Areas considered suitable for a programme of community 220 engagement to deliver Flooding Warning and Informing 221 Appendix J Rivers Agency Capital Works Programme (2015-2021) 10 Section 1 11 12 1. Introduction Flooding in Northern Ireland in recent years has had significant impacts on communities, businesses, infrastructure and the environment. With a changing climate, there could be more extremes in the weather which may lead to more frequent and