Solway Tweed River Basin District Flood Risk Management Plan 2015- 2021 PART B – Sub Areas in the Solway Tweed River Basin District

March 2016

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Published by: Environment Agency Further copies of this report are available Horizon house, Deanery Road, from our publications catalogue: Bristol BS1 5AH www.gov.uk/government/publications Email: [email protected] or our National Customer Contact Centre: www.gov.uk/environment-agency T: 03708 506506

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Contents

Glossary and abbreviations 4 The layout of this document 6

1. Sub-areas in the Solway Tweed RBD ...... 8 Introduction...... 7 Management Catchment...... 8 2. Conclusions, objectives, and measures to manage risk for the Management Catchments in the Solway Tweed River Basin District...... 9 2.1. The Eden and Esk Catchment ...... 11 Introduction to the catchment...... 10 Flood Risk Maps and statistics...... 13 Conclusions for the Eden and Esk catchment...... 16 Measures across the Eden and Esk catchment...... 17 2.2. The Waver and Wampool Catchment ...... 19 Introduction to the catchment...... 19 Flood Risk Maps and statistics...... 21 Conclusions for the Waver and Wampool Catchment...... 24 Measures across the Waver and Wampool catchment...... 25 2.3. The Till and English Tweed Catchment ...... 27 Introduction to the catchment...... 27 Flood risk maps and statistics...... 29 Conclusions for the Till and English Tweed Catchment...... 32 Measures across the Till and English Tweed Catchment...... 33

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Glossary and abbreviations

AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty BAP Biodiversity Action Plan Catchment The watershed of a surface water river system CaBA Catchment based approach: an approach to environmental planning that focuses on local engagement and partnerships CFMP Catchment Flood Management Plan Coastal Groups Voluntary coastal defence groups made up of maritime district authorities and other bodies with coastal defence responsibilities. Cross Border Set up under The Flood Risk (Cross Border Areas) Regulations 2012 Advisory Group (SI No. 1102). A statutory group made up of representatives from (CBAG) SEPA, Environment Agency and local authorities within the cross border areas. Cross Border Those areas designated as ‘cross border’ under The Flood Risk (Cross Areas Border Areas) Regulations 2012 (SI No. 1102). CWS County Wildlife Site DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs EA Environment Agency EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EPR Environmental Protection Regulations EU European Union FCERM Flood and coastal erosion risk management Floods Directive The European Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) on the assessment and management of flood risks. Flood Risk Area Areas where the risk of flooding from local flood risks is significant as (FRA) designated under the Flood Risk Regulations. Fluvial A term used to refer to the processes associated with rivers and streams FRM Flood Risk Management FRMP Flood Risk Management Plan – plan produced to deliver the requirements of the Flood Risk Regulations. Government The term government is used within this report to refer to Defra (the Department for Environment, Flood and Rural Affairs) and Welsh Government. Groundwater Occurs when water levels in the ground rise above the natural surface. flooding Low-lying areas underlain by permeable strata are particularly susceptible. Ha Hectares HLS Higher Level (Environmental) Stewardship HRA Habitats Regulations Assessment: an assessment undertaken in relation to a site designated under the Habitats and Birds Directives Km Kilometres LDF Local Development Framework LLFA Lead Local Flood Authority Local FRM Local flood risk management strategy produced by LLFAs under the Strategy Flood and Water Management Act 2010. Main river A watercourse shown as such on the main river map, and for which the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales has responsibilities and powers MSFW Making Space for Water National FCERM National flood and coastal erosion risk management strategy: these Strategy are strategies prepared under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, by the Environment Agency for England and by Welsh Government for Wales.

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NNR National Nature Reserve NRW Natural Resources Wales. The NRW took over the functions of the Environment Agency in Wales on 1st April 2013. Ordinary All watercourses that are not designated Main River, and which are the watercourses (OW) responsibility of Local Authorities or, where they exist, Internal Drainage Boards. PFRA Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment – these were required to be published by December 2011 and were the first stage in delivering the Regulations. PU Policy Unit Ramsar Wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention Reservoir A natural or artificial lake where water is collected and stored until needed. Reservoirs can be used for irrigation, recreation, providing water supply for municipal needs, hydroelectric power or controlling water flow. Risk management Organisations that have a key role in flood and coastal erosion risk authorities (RMAs) management as defined by the Act. These are the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, lead local flood authorities, district councils where there is no unitary authority, internal drainage boards, water companies, and highways authorities. RFCCs Regional Flood and Coastal Committees River Basin District These are the reporting units to the European Commission for the (RBD) Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive. RBMP River Basin Management Plan – plan required by the European Water Framework Directive. River flooding Occurs when water levels in a channel overwhelms the capacity of the channel. SAC Special Area of Conservation SAM Scheduled Ancient Monument SAMP System Asset Management Plan SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SFRA Strategic Flood Risk Assessment SMP Shoreline Management Plan SPA Special Protection Area SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest SuDS Sustainable Drainage Systems Surface water Flooding from rainwater (including snow and other precipitation) which flooding has not entered a watercourse, drainage system or public sewer. SWMP Surface Water Management Plan UKCIP United Kingdom Climate Impact Projections AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

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The layout of this document

Flood Risk Management Plans have been divided into four sections to help readers identify and access information relevant to them. This is Part B. We have divided the plan into four parts: Name Audience Summary Document For those who a high level overview of the plan

Part A: Background and river basin For those who need some legislative background and district wide information river basin district wide, high level information

Part B: Catchment Summaries For those who want the detail of the sub-areas and flooding statistics. This section includes the catchments based on Water Framework Directive (WFD) management catchments, Flood Risk Areas (identified through the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment) and other strategic areas across the RBD.

Part C: Appendices For those who want to see the detailed program of work for individual communities

Part B introduces each of the sub-areas in turn. This section outlines the catchments based on Water Framework Directive (WFD) management catchments, which make up the RBD, then the Management Catchments (identified through the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment) and other strategic areas across the RBD.

The other parts of the flood risk management plan are located on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/solway-tweed-river-basin-district-flood-risk- management-plan )

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During December 2015, Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank brought record breaking levels of rainfall and significant flooding to some parts of the country. On 5 and 6 December the highest ever river flows were registered in several large catchments including the Eden, Lune and Tyne. On 25 and 26 December further record river levels were registered for many large rivers draining the Pennines. The Met Office confirmed that December 2015 was the wettest on record in parts of the UK, including Cumbria which experienced more than two and a half times expected monthly rainfall. Across the country over 19,000 homes were flooded, with thousands more affected by loss of power supply and travel disruption. Existing flood defences played an essential part in protecting thousands of homes during December with 12,500 benefitting during Storm Desmond and 10,900 during Storm Eva. Support to affected communities, business and the agricultural sector is in place, along with a programme of inspections and repairs to damaged defences. It is essential to ensure that we have the very best possible plans in place for flood management across the whole country. Following the December 2015 floods, Defra announced a National Flood Resilience Review, to assess how the country can be better protected from future flooding and increasingly extreme weather events. The review is looking at climate modelling, infrastructure, resilience and future investment strategy. Government is also working to strengthen or establish partnerships in the areas most flood affected to encourage a more integrated approach to managing risk across the whole catchment. These Partnerships are considering improvements to flood defences, upstream options to help slow the flow and surface water runoff, and how planning and design of urban areas can help reduce flood risk. They are also aiming to build stronger links between local residents, community groups and flood management planning and decision making. The resulting actions from the Local Flood Partnerships in Cumbria and Yorkshire will complement the measures in the relevant FRMPs and the learning from this approach will be shared across the country. In England, the Government is investing £2.3bn on 1,500 flood defence schemes between 2015-2021. Investment in flood risk management infrastructure not only reduces the risks of flooding but also supports growth by helping to create new jobs, bringing confidence to areas previously affected by floods and creating and restoring habitats. The following flood risk areas and catchments were impacted by the December 2015 storms and experienced significant flooding to homes, businesses and infrastructure:  Eden and Esk  Waver and Wampool  Till and English Tweed

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1. Sub-areas in the Solway Tweed RBD

Introduction There are a number of sub-areas within the Solway Tweed RBD, as shown in Figure 1 and outlined below. These sub-areas and issues in them are described in Catchment Summaries in section 11. These are: Catchments (which are set out according to WFD Management Catchments) Management Catchments (identified in the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment): areas that require flood risk management plans for local sources of flooding.

Figure 1 Solway Tweed RBD showing Catchments, Management Catchments.

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Management Catchments These are areas where we focus engagement to enable a catchment based approach to water management. There are 4 catchments in the Solway Tweed RBD, as listed below: The following catchments are included in this plan: Eden Esk Waver Wampool Till English Tweed While the River Till and the English Tweed are identified as 2 separate management catchments, for the purpose of this flood risk management plan they are consider together. This is because the English Tweed has no main river risk within the catchment – the Tweed is not classed as a main river.

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2. Conclusions and measures to manage flood risk in Solway Tweed River Basin District catchments

The following sections consider the ongoing, agreed and proposed measures for each of the following Management Catchments in the Solway Tweed River Basin District:

Eden and Esk Waver and Wampool Till and English Tweed (combined 2 Management Catchments in the FRMP)

Objectives for the Solway Tweed river basin district can be found in Part A, section 8 of the FRMP.

Find out more

Cumbria County Council Flood Risk Management Strategy Cumbria County Council Local Flood Risk Management

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2.1. The Eden and Esk Catchment

Introduction to the Eden and Esk The steepness of the Upper Eden means that water levels in the river rise quickly after rain (i.e. response to rainfall is rapid). For example, in Kirkby Stephen, the River Eden responds in only 1.5 hours after rainfall. Similarly, the time taken for rain falling on the top of Helvellyn, the highest point in the Eamont catchment, to reach Ullswater Lake is only 2 hrs. This is one of the main characteristics of the flood risk in the Eden and this short response time places a constraint on our ability to provide flood warnings and allow residents to react to these warnings. The main urban centres are located at Appleby, Penrith and Carlisle with numerous smaller settlements in the lower Eden Valley.

Follow this link to see the Objectives to manage risk in the Solway Tweed River Basin District catchments and Management Catchments

Land Use and Management The Eden catchment is predominantly rural with only 5 per cent of the land use classed as non- agricultural and non-urban within the entire catchment. A large part the non-agricultural land is Wark Forest in the northeast of the Eden catchment, with only 1 percent of the Eden catchment classified as urban. There is no land graded as Grade 1 within the Eden catchment. However, 4 per cent of the catchment area is Grade 2 agricultural land (excellent to very good). Approximately 36 per cent of the catchment area is Grade 3 agricultural land (good to moderate grade). Fifty-four per cent of land is Grade 4 & 5 agricultural land (of poor quality). The Eden Valley itself contains areas of the productive farmland in the low lying areas with the less intensive farming in the foothills of the North Pennines. There are some areas of intensively managed pasture in the Solway Basin. The majority of the catchment is put down to livestock with grazing pasture. The catchment is a rural catchment dominated by agriculture, only 1 per cent of the catchment is urban. The main urban centres are located at Appleby, Penrith and Carlisle with numerous smaller settlements in the lower Eden Valley. The Esk catchment is predominantly rural, with 22 per cent of the land use classed as non- agricultural and non-urban. A large part the non-agricultural land is Kershope Forest in the northeast of the area, and in the west Solway Moss peat workings and MOD Longtown, only 1 per cent of the catchment classified as urban. The main urban centre is Longtown.

There is no Grade 1 or grade 2 agricultural land within this area. Forty per cent of the area is Grade 3 agricultural land (good to moderate grade). Approximately 22 per cent of the catchment area is Grade 4 agricultural land (poor) and 15 per cent is grade 5 (very poor). In the Longtown Border area, nearly seventy percent of the land is grassland with livestock farming being the predominant use of the land, mostly sheep and cattle with some poultry and pig farming. In the east of the area in the upper catchment, 40% of the land is commercial forestry and with the rest of the land being grade 4 or 5, sheep and some cattle farming are the dominant forms of agriculture. In the west, nearly 70% of the land is of grade 3 and although around 10% of the land is arable farming much of the land is grazing pasture used for livestock farming. Page 11 of 35

Geology At the upstream end of the catchment, Millstone Grit is particularly characteristic of the higher moorland areas. From Kirkby Stephen to Carlisle, the valley floor is dominated by sandstone and mudstones to the western side of the Eden and limestone’s of the Carboniferous series to the east and around Carlisle, forming an extensive outcrop. There are numerous streams on the face of the steep scarp slopes bordering the south and east of the catchment. The impermeable nature of the sandstones promotes rapid run-off and short response times for peak flows to occur on the River Eden. The area downstream of and to the west of Carlisle is of low relief and underlain by mudstone of the Mercia, Permo-Triassic and Lias, Jurassic ages. Neither of these is considered to be an aquifer. In the western area, contributing to the River Eamont flows, the high ground is dominated by altered metamorphic rocks and slate. These are both hard and impermeable and promote rapid run-off to receiving watercourses below. This area supports the two large lakes of Ullswater and Haweswater, offering some attenuation of flow from the upper reaches of the catchment. The geology and hydrogeology of the catchment combine with the topography resulting in rivers with water levels that rise quickly after rainfall. A short response to rainfall leads to a rapid increase in river levels. Flood warnings are also short and flooding can be sudden. This can result in flooding where rivers are restricted and there is a lack of capacity. At the western end of the catchment, the bedrock geology is formed of sandstones and mudstones. Where the bedrock is formed of sandstone in the west of the catchment, it is a principal aquifer. There are two regionally important geological sites in the area at Arthuret Howes, which is the site of an esker, and at Cliff Bridge near Kirklinton, the top of the St Bees sandstone is exposed. To the east, the bedrock is a mixture of limestone, sandstones and mudstone. In the far east of the catchment near to Bewcastle some of the bedrock is exposed at Ashycleugh Burn and Bullcleugh Quarry, these are regionally important sites of geological interest as they expose areas of the Cambeck and Bewdale Beds. The superficial geology of the catchment is dominated by till left after the retreat of the glaciers after the last ice age. There are areas of fluvial deposits in the west of the catchment and areas of peat on the Pennines in the east. Solway Moss and Bolton Fell Moss are substantial areas of raised peat bog that are currently being worked, these bogs now form part of the last surviving 5% of lowland raised bog in England.

National and International Designations The Eden Catchment is of high environmental significance with several sites of European importance, including the Eden and its tributaries the Upper Solway Flats & Marshes SAC. The catchment is predominantly rural with less than 1 per cent urban. Thirty per cent of the area lies within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with a further 30 per cent designated as landscape of county importance. A significant part of the study area lies within the Lake District National Park. Approximately 5 per cent of the Esk catchment is either nationally or internationally designated, and 15 per cent is designated as Landscape of County Importance. Partnership Working Within the Eden and Esk Catchment the Risk Management Authorities have developed good working relationships. The catchment is covered by 1 Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), Cumbria County Council and 2 local authorities Eden District and Carlisle City council. Part of the Management Catchment sits within the Lake District National Park Special Planning Board area.

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United Utilities (UU) are the water and sewerage provider in this catchment and they actively participate in partnership working to identify and address flood risk issues within the Eden and Esk catchment. Working between Risk Management Authorities is helped by the presence of the existing Making Space for Water Group (MSFWG). Each district council in Cumbria has a MSFWG which is made up of representatives of the LLFA, EA, district, UU and Highways Authority. This group works to resolve minor flood risk issues that require joint working in any particular district. In addition to those partners mentioned we also work closely with the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and Natural England.

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Flood risk maps and statistics

Figure 2 National Flood Risk Assessment (NAFRA) in the Eden and Esk catchment.

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Table 2 Summary flood risk from rivers and sea to people, economic activity and the natural and historic environment across the Eden and Esk catchment.

River & Sea Total in High risk Medium Low risk Very low RBD risk risk Risk to people: Number of people in area: 169,350 1,450 1,500 13,500 <50 Number of services: 480 10 10 40 0

Risk to economic activity: Number of non-residential properties: 46,250 900 800 2,750 <50 Number of airports: 0 0 0 0 0 Length of roads (km): 310 10 10 10 <10 Length of railway (km): 180 <10 <10 <10 0 Agricultural land (ha): 108,750 7,400 1,800 2,650 <50

Risk to the natural and historic environment: Number of EU designated bathing 0 0 0 0 0 waters within 50m: Number of EPR installations within 25 0 0 2 0 50m: Area of SAC within area (ha): 34,900 3,650 250 200 <50 Area of SPA within area (ha): 14,650 1,450 150 <50 <50 Area of RAMSAR site within area (ha): 2,350 1,450 100 <50 0 Area of World Heritage Site within area 16,400 3,500 500 850 <50 (ha): Area of SSSI within area (ha): 38,000 3,850 300 250 <50 Area of Parks and Gardens within area 950 50 >50 <50 0 (ha): Area of Scheduled Ancient Monument 1,250 <50 <50 <50 <50 within area (ha): Number of Listed Buildings within area: 3,030 160 60 290 <10 Number of Licensed water abstractions 270 40 10 <10 0 within the area:

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Flooding from Reservoirs

Figure 3 Reservoir flood risk extents in the Eden and Esk catchment. Page 16 of 35

Table 3 Summary flood risk from reservoirs to people, economic activity and the natural and historic environment across the Eden and Esk Catchment.

Reservoirs Total in RBD Maximum extent of flooding Risk to people: Number of people in area: 169,350 15,200 Number of services: 480 40

Risk to economic activity: Number of non-residential properties: 46,250 2,500 Number of airports: 0 0 Length of roads (km): 310 20 Length of railway (km): 180 <10 Agricultural land (ha): 108,750 5,050

Risk to the natural and historic environment: Number of EU designated bathing waters within 50m: 0 0 Number of EPR installations within 50m: 25 1 Area of SAC within area (ha): 34,900 1800 Area of SPA within area (ha): 14,650 750 Area of RAMSAR site within area (ha): 2,350 750 Area of World Heritage Site within area (ha): 16,400 2,650 Area of SSSI within area (ha): 38,000 1,900 Area of Parks and Gardens within area (ha): 950 100 Area of Scheduled Ancient Monument within area (ha): 1,250 50 Number of Listed Buildings within area: 3,030 250 Number of Licensed water abstractions within the area: 270 20

Conclusions for the Eden and Esk catchment The Eden and Esk Catchment covers a large and varied area both in terms of topography and land use. It is dominated by agricultural land uses ranging from hill sheep grazing to arable and dairy farming, is sparsely populated but does have larger centres of population. Watercourses across the catchment have a variety of uses from recreation to water supply and land drainage.

Flood risk within the catchment is from a variety of sources; rivers, the sea, surface water, ordinary watercourses, reservoirs and sewers. There are more than 16500 people at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea.

The Eden catchment has the greater flood risk of the two catchments. The City of Carlisle and towns of Penrith, and Appleby have the greatest flood risk and have suffered flooding historically. Many villages across the catchment also suffer from flooding as a result of the topography, high rainfall and historic structures and channel constrictions. The English part of the Esk catchment has less flood risk. Longtown and its surrounding area is at risk from river and to a lesser extent tidal flooding.

Significant flooding occurred in December 2015, when heavy rainfall from Storm Desmond fell on already saturated ground across the Solway Tweed. The Eden Esk catchment received 293.4mm Page 17 of 35 in the 24-hour period from Saturday 05 December 2015. This was recorded by the Environment Agency’s gauging station at the top of the Eden Catchment at Brothers Water, and is estimated to be a storm event with a return period of greater than a 1 in 1000 chance (0.1% chance) of occurring in any given year. At Carlisle, the River Eden peaked at 7.8m at 9.15am on Sunday 06 December 2015. The previous highest recorded was 7.2m.

The December 2015 flooding affected communities in this catchment including Appleby, Carlisle, Rickerby, Low Crosby, Warwick Bridge, Eamont Bridge, Pooley Bridge, Howtown, Glenridding, Patterdale, Caldbeck, Millhouse, Sebergham and Hartsop in this catchment with circa 2,420 homes and businesses flooded. Following the floods a programme of recovery is in place which includes a review of existing defences in Carlisle and Appleby, community engagement in flooded areas, investigation of flood events by relevant Risk Management Authorities to understand flood mechanisms and the establishing of the new Cumbrian Floods Partnership Group.

This Group will consider what improvements to flood defences in the region may be needed, look at upstream options for slowing key rivers to reduce the intensity of water flows at peak times and build stronger links between local residents, community groups and flood defence planning. The group will be chaired by the Floods Minister and made up of local authorities, the Environment Agency, community groups and partner organisations (e.g. rivers trusts, national parks, United Utilities etc). The group will publish a Cumbria Action Plan in the summer of 2016.

The Shoreline Management Plan for the North West coast, which was completed in 2010, sets out how coastal erosion can be managed sustainably and also sets the direction for managing coastal flood risk. This Flood Risk Management Plan summarises some of that information but in no way changes the approach developed then with the aid of substantial consultation. More recent climate change projections suggest that future sea level rise considered by the SMP may be reasonable or conservative.

Severe flooding in Carlisle in 2005 resulted in the construction of the Carlisle Flood Alleviation Scheme after the existing defences were overtopped. The towns of Penrith, Appleby and Longtown also have flood alleviation schemes. Flooding of small communities across the catchment may lend themselves to a property level protection approach. The rural nature of the many of the catchments may also lend themselves to the catchment based approach to flood management. The EA is considering the use of both of these techniques across the Eden Esk catchments.

Catchment Flood Management Plans published in 2008 considered possible increases in flood levels, extent and risk if climate change were to increase flood flows by 20%. Climate projections since then suggest flood flows could increase by more than that but acknowledge significant uncertainty. No additional analysis is proposed at this stage; instead our preferred approach is to emphasise the uncertainty in climate change impacts. Planners, Emergency Planners, Asset Managers and others should ask questions such as: “have we considered what might happen if flood risk is worse than previously considered?” and “what can we do to mitigate the increased flood risk?”

Measures across the Eden and Esk catchment Across the Eden and Esk Catchment there are the 31 measures to manage flood risk. Preventing risk: 8 measures including; 1) Where development must take place in areas at risk of flooding, we will seek to ensure that floor levels are raised to an appropriate level, flood resilience is incorporated into buildings and it is demonstrated that safe access can be provided during flood events

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2) Through the system asset management plans (SAMPS) identify locations where maintenance work to rural watercourses and raised defences will be reduced within the Eden and Esk policy unit

3) Investigate and resolve complex flooding from different sources through combined improvement projects

Preparing for risk: 10 measures including; 1) Consult key stakeholders and the general public during development of strategies within the Cardurnock to Scottish Border policy unit. 2) Monitor and manage the action plan for the Shoreline Management Plans(SMP) to ensure SMP policies are put into practice within the Cardurnock to the Scottish Border policy unit 3) Investigate reports of annual flood to properties in Kirkby Stephen and investigate feasibility of flood warning service 4) Promote awareness within local residents regarding action to protect themselves and their property from flooding 5) Investigate feasibility of flood warning service that could provide landowners with suitable advance warning to enable the movement of livestock from areas at risk to higher ground

Protecting from risk: 13 measures including;

1) Promote a flood risk and coastal adaptation study for Port Carlisle and access road to raise awareness and encourage individual property flood defences if appropriate. 2) Develop business case for EA withdrawal from rural land drainage - decommissioning Thacka Beck pumping stations 3) Take a catchment based approach to flood risk management in Stockdalewath 4) PAR to develop business case for Gosling Syke Flood Storage Basin 5) Consider a scheme to protect Cummersdale factory

A table showing a summary of ongoing measures to manage flood risk in the Eden Esk Catchment can be found in Part A of the Solway Tweed Flood Risk Management Plan. To see measures across the whole of the Solway Tweed River Basin District please refer to Part A, Section 9 of the Solway Tweed Flood Risk Management Plan.

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2.2. The Waver and Wampool Catchment

Introduction to the Waver and Wampool The Waver and Wampool catchment extends from village of Beckfoot in the south to Port Carlisle in the north. It includes the rivers and tributaries of the Waver and Wampool. Over 95% of land within the catchment is agricultural, with grazing and arable farming being most common. Although a largely rural catchment is does contain the larger settlements of Wigton and Silloth which have some industrial and manufacturing sites. Watercourses are used for a limited variety of activities with the focus being on land drainage. There are relatively extensive areas of the catchment that rely on pumped drainage to maintain their agricultural productivity. Parts of the Waver and Wampool catchment have a comprehensive system of pump-assisted drainage to reduce flooding of pasture in late autumn, winter and early spring, so it is dry enough to support grazing. The Environment Agency currently maintain the drainage system under permissive powers. If pumping were to cease there would be a dramatic change in soil wetness and subsequently in the flora, fauna and agricultural productivity. The area is rich in landscape and wildlife heritage, including the South Solway Mosses raised mires SAC, and the coast is of international importance for conservation (Solway Firth SAC).

Follow this link to see the Objectives to manage risk in the Solway Tweed River Basin District catchments and Management Catchments

Land Use and Management The landscape of the coastal plain consists mainly of improved pasture grazed by cattle, small dairy herds and sheep. Some semi-natural grasslands occur in low lying areas adjacent to streams or watercourses. A lack of woodland management has resulted in the decline of broadleaved woodland cover with just limited blocks of mixed or conifer plantations established as shelter belts. The coastal dunes, salt marshes, intertidal flats, wetlands and mires are ecologically important. The Solway Basin consists of a lowland plain intensively managed for pasture fringed by the low, relatively remote coastline of the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea. The narrow coastal margin supports a variety of habitats. Inland land cover is dominated by medium to large-scale intensively managed pasture. Hay meadows, wet grasslands, tarns and ponds remain in areas of less intensively managed farmland. The foreshore of the Solway Firth is dominated by large expanses of intertidal mudflats and salt marshes. To the south of the estuary mouth, the Irish Sea coastal fringe is characterised by dunes, raised beaches, pebble beaches and sandy shores. Fragmented areas of relatively intact raised peat bogs occur inland of the coastal fringe. These habitats are of outstanding nature conservation importance. The soils of the majority of the flat land of the Solway Basin are deep silty and fine sandy soils. These soils are variably affected by groundwater and are dependent on artificial drainage.

Geology Although the solid rocks of the area have a major influence on the landscape, the effects of glaciation during the last ice age are extremely important. Glaciers scoured ‘U’-shaped valleys and over deepened the valley floors to produce basins which are today occupied by the lakes. Glacial erosion of comparatively weak rock to the north of the catchment produced land of relatively low relief which today forms the Solway Basin through which the Rivers Waver and Wampool flow out to the sea. Page 20 of 35

National and International Designation The area is rich in landscape and wildlife heritage, including the South Solway Mosses raised mires SAC, and the coast is of international importance for conservation (Solway Firth SAC).

Partnership Working Within the Waver and Wampool Catchment the Risk Management Authorities have developed good working relationships. The catchment is covered by 1 Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), Cumbria County Council and 1 local authority Allerdale Borough Council. Part of the Management Catchment sits within the Lake District National Park Special Planning Board area.

Working between Risk Management Authorities is helped by the presence of the existing Making Space for Water Group (MSFWG). Each district council in Cumbria has a MSFWG which is made up of representatives of the LLFA, EA, district, UU and Highways Authority. This group works to resolve minor flood risk issues that require joint working in any particular district.

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Flood risk maps and statistics

Figure 4 National Flood Risk Assessment (NAFRA) in the Waver and Wampool catchment.

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Table 4 Summary flood risk from rivers and sea to people, economic activity and the natural and historic environment across the Waver and Wampool Catchment.

Total in High risk Medium Low risk Very low RBD risk risk River & Sea Risk to people: Number of people in area: 19,000 300 250 750 0 Number of services: 120 <10 <10 <10 0

Risk to economic activity: Number of non-residential properties: 9,600 200 300 450 0 Number of airports: 0 0 0 0 0 Length of roads (km): 40 <10 <10 <10 0 Length of railway (km): 20 <10 <10 <10 <10 Agricultural land (ha): 28,850 1,700 1,450 1,150 <10

Risk to the natural and historic environment: Number of EU designated bathing 0 0 0 0 0 waters within 50m: Number of EPR installations within 9 1 3 0 0 50m: Area of SAC within area (ha): 3,700 1,050 350 100 0 Area of SPA within area (ha): 1,750 1,050 300 100 0 Area of RAMSAR site within area (ha): 1,750 1,050 300 100 0 Area of World Heritage Site within area 3,400 500 250 550 <50 (ha): Area of SSSI within area (ha): 4,000 1,100 350 150 0 Area of Parks and Gardens within area 0 0 0 0 0 (ha): Area of Scheduled Ancient Monument 100 <50 <50 <50 <50 within area (ha): Number of Listed Buildings within area: 270 <10 <10 <10 0 Number of Licensed water abstractions 40 <10 <10 <10 0 within the area:

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Flooding from Reservoirs

Figure 5 Reservoir flood risk extents in the Waver and Wampool catchment.

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Table 5 Summary flood risk from reservoirs to people, economic activity and the natural and historic environment across the Waver Wampool Catchment.

Reservoirs Total in RBD Maximum extent of flooding Risk to people: Number of people in area: 19,000 0 Number of services: 120 0

Risk to economic activity: Number of non-residential properties: 9,600 0 Number of airports: 0 0 Length of roads (km): 40 0 Length of railway (km): 20 0 Agricultural land (ha): 28,850 >50

Risk to the natural and historic environment: Number of EU designated bathing waters within 50m: 0 0 Number of EPR installations within 50m: 9 0 Area of SAC within area (ha): 3,700 >50 Area of SPA within area (ha): 1,750 >50 Area of RAMSAR site within area (ha): 1,750 >50 Area of World Heritage Site within area (ha): 3,400 0 Area of SSSI within area (ha): 4,000 >50 Area of Parks and Gardens within area (ha): 0 0 Area of Scheduled Ancient Monument within area (ha): 100 0 Number of Listed Buildings within area: 270 0 Number of Licensed water abstractions within the area: 40 0

Conclusions for the Waver and Wampool catchment

The Waver Wampool Catchment covers a predominantly low lying rural area. It is dominated by agricultural land uses, sparsely populated and with watercourses that often serve a land drainage purpose.

Flood risk within the catchment is from a variety of sources; rivers, the sea, surface water, ordinary watercourses and sewers. There are 1300 people at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea.

The town of Wigton is the location with largest flood risk. A number of watercourses meet in the town and constrictions caused by historic structures have led to a number of flooding of hotspots. The EA is working with the community and partners to look at options for managing the flood risk.

Communities along the coastline of the catchment are at risk of flooding from the sea. Properties at Silloth & Skinburness, Kirkbride and Anthorn have flooded historically.

Significant flooding occurred in December 2015, when heavy rainfall from Storm Desmond fell on already saturated ground across the Solway Tweed. The Waver Wampool catchments were on the edge of the storm and as a result the overall impact was less. Page 25 of 35

The December 2015 flooding affected many communities throughout Cumbria and in these catchments surface water flooding and many areas of farmland were affected including property flooding at Wigton and Abbeytown with circa 30 homes and businesses flooded. Following the floods a programme of recovery is in place which includes investigations of flood events by relevant Risk Management Authorities to understand flood mechanisms and the establishing of the new Cumbrian Floods Partnership group.

This will consider what improvements to flood defences in the region may be needed, look at upstream options for slowing key rivers to reduce the intensity of water flows at peak times and build stronger links between local residents, community groups and flood defence planning. The group will be chaired by the Floods Minister and made up of local authorities, the Environment Agency, community groups and partner organisations (eg rivers trusts, national parks, United Utilities etc). The group will publish a Cumbria Action Plan in the summer of 2016.

Historic agricultural land improvement works have seen extensive watercourse modification and the construction of pumped drainage schemes in certain parts of the catchment. These schemes are supported by a programme of annual maintenance works carried out by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency is aiming to withdraw from land drainage works that serve no wider flood risk benefit, it is working with the community to manage its withdrawal from this land drainage work.

Options for the reduction of watercourse maintenance and the options around decommissioning or handing over pumping stations in the Waver Wampool were discussed with an Advisory Group of key stakeholders from Local Authorities (officers and councillors), representatives of the local farming community and key environmental organisations.

Notice has been served to all effected landowners that the Environment Agency will cease funding all pumping by December 2015, with pumping stations either being decommissioned or handed over to the local farming community in the future.

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Measures across the Waver and Wampool catchment

Across the catchment there are 14 measures to manage flood risk.

Preventing risk: No measures proposed Preparing for risk: 8 Measures including; 1) Monitor and manage the action plan for the shoreline management plans to ensure SMP policies are put into practice within the Siloth to The Grune policy unit 2) Undertake Habitats Regulations Assessment for strategies and schemes carried out within the Siloth to The Grune policy unit. 3) Seek environmental enhancements as part of FRM works at strategy or scheme level and within RHCP e.g. opportunities to improve landscape within Solway Coast AONB 4) Assess the visual and landscape impacts of raising or extending defences at strategy or scheme level on the buffer zone of Hadrian’s Wall WHS, in consultation with English Heritage 5) Consult key stakeholders and the general public during the development of strategies within the Moricambe Bay policy unit Protecting from risk: 6 measures including; 1) Consider flood risks to individual properties at Beckfoot and case for future adaptation or resilience measures. 2) A coastal process and strategy study is recommended for Siloth to Cardurnock. This should consider: the linkages between the Grune and the long term evolution of the internationally designated sites in the Bay; coastal adaptation required to manage residual risks to isolated properties and assets, social implications and associated costs and benefits. A consultation and viability study should be carried out to inform this wider strategy regarding the managed realignment of defences for intertidal habitat creation. 3) Promote a flood risk and coastal adaptation study for Port Carlisle and access road to raise awareness and encourage individual property flood defences if appropriate. 4) Carry out a project appraisal report for Wigton Flood Alleviation Scheme (Speet Gill) 5) Develop business case for Waver Wampool land drainage withdrawal

Recovery and review of risk: No measures A table showing a summary of ongoing measures to manage flood risk in the Waver Wampool Catchment can be found in Part A of the Solway Tweed Flood Risk Management Plan. To see measures across the whole of the Solway Tweed River Basin District please refer to Part A, Section 9 of the Solway Tweed Flood Risk Management Plan.

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2.3. The Till and English Tweed Catchment

Introduction to the Till and English Tweed The Till catchment area covers around 800 km² and includes the English tributaries of the River Tweed and a small area of the Scottish Borders. The area is part of the larger Tweed catchment which covers an area of about 5,000 km². This catchment drains most of the Cheviots and agriculture is the primary land-use. The catchment includes 9 rivers, with a combined length of approximately 136 km. Berwick-upon-Tweed is the largest town in the area with a population of around 13,000. Follow this link to see the Objectives to manage risk in the Solway Tweed River Basin District catchments and Management Catchments

Land Use and Management The vast proportion on the catchment is classed as agricultural land with urban areas covering around 1% of the land. This highlights the rural nature of the catchment and is further reflected in the small total population of just under 23,000 throughout the Till and English Tweed catchment. The largest urban areas are Berwick-upon-Tweed and Wooler. There are small villages are scattered throughout the catchment but away from the main towns, the area is sparsely populated with population densities of typically less than 30 people per square kilometre. Of the agricultural land, the higher ground in the south-west of the catchment is the lowest agricultural quality (grade 5) and is used only for sheep grazing. At lower levels, along the lower stretches of the Rivers Till and Tweed, the fertile floodplain provides high quality land (grade 2) for arable cereals and dairy farming. Land along the middle reaches of the River Till and its tributaries are of intermediate agricultural quality (grade 3 or 4). Land here is mainly classified as improved grassland and used for dairy and sheep farming. 50% of land is classified as grades 2 and 3. The small proportion of urban land and high proportion of agricultural land mean that land use has limited significant impact on flood risk in the catchment

Geology The geology ranges from hard granite rocks in the Cheviots to younger carboniferous rocks and glacial/alluvial deposits in the valley lowlands. Along the fringes of the Cheviots, the impermeable granite plateau of the upper Cheviots gives way to steep sided valleys of andesitic and basaltic lavas formed around 400 million years ago. These impermeable lavas are overlain in some places by glacial material deposited during the last Ice Age. Granite, andesitic and basalt are igneous rocks which are impermeable to water such that water cannot soak into the rock. Therefore a large proportion of water will run off these igneous rocks which could lead to a high potential of flooding. The Till and Tweed valley lowlands are underlain by carboniferous rocks composed of inter- bedded sandstone, shale and limestone. The oldest rocks are cement stones, followed by fell limestone, Scremerston coal group, and then carboniferous limestone groups. These are all sedimentary rocks which are porous or permeable to water so water can soak into the rocks. Since water can soak into these sedimentary rocks a small proportion of water will run off these rocks, meaning that the potential for flooding is low in these lowland areas.

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National and International Designations There are five SACs in the catchment. These are the River Tweed, Ford Moss, Tweed Estuary, North Northumberland Dunes, and Berwick and North Northumberland Coast. In total SACs cover an area of 702 km² of which, 8.8 km² falls within the catchment The most important environmental designation within the area is the River Tweed SAC. This includes the entire River Tweed and the tributaries of the River Breamish, River Till, River Glen and Wooler Water. The entire River Tweed SAC falls completely within this catchment and is a highly sensitive catchment. The River Tweed SAC will be vulnerable to flood risk management actions however as it is a riverine environment this area will naturally experience rapid fluctuations in river levels, including periodic flooding.

The Northumbria Coast, Lindisfarne and Holburn Lake and Moss are SPAs and Ramsar sites located within the Till and Breamish CFMP area. In total, these SPAs covers an area of 48 km² of which just 0.5 km² falls within the CFMP area. The Northumberland Coast SPA is important because of its tidally influenced habitats. Holburn Lake and Moss is an inland designation which covers an area of 0.1 km² in the CFMP area and has been designated due its variety of habitats which include bogs, marshes and water fringed vegetation. It is also important for its population of winter Greylag Goose roost, with 2% of the Iceland-UK-Ireland population using the site. Lindisfarne is important for supporting migratory and over wintering birds amongst its diverse range of coastal habitats. There are 14 SSSIs covering an area of 47 km² in the catchment. The habitat characteristics of these SSSI include glacial lake basins, lowland peat bogsacidic grasslands and woodlands whilst animal species regarded as important at these sites include sea lamprey, Atlantic salmon and common otter. Partnership Working Within the Till Catchment we have developed a good working relationship with our partners. We work closely with the other Risk Management Authorities of Northumberland County Council and Northumbrian Water Limited. We work closely with these LLFA’s to help them develop their programme of capital works for flood risk management. We are also committed to working with all of these LLFA’s in assisting with the preparation of their LFRMS. We actively seek to work in partnership with the LLFA’s and other Risk Management Authorities (e.g. NWL) in order to achieve the common goal of reducing flood risk from all sources.

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Flood risks maps and statistics

Figure 6 National Flood Risk Assessment (NAFRA) in the Till and English Tweed Catchment.

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Table 6 Summary flood risk from rivers and sea to people, economic activity and the natural and historic environment across the Till and Tweed Catchment.

River & Sea Total in High Medium Low risk Very low Catchment risk risk risk Risk to people: Number of people in area: 22,950 0 200 350 0 Number of services: 140 <10 <10 <10 0

Risk to economic activity: Number of non-residential properties: 6,950 <50 200 150 0 Number of airports: 0 0 0 0 0 Length of roads (km): 50 <10 <10 <10 <10 Length of railway (km): 10 <10 0 <10 0 Agricultural land (ha): 32,950 500 1,850 850 <50

Risk to the natural and historic environment: Number of EU designated bathing 0 0 0 0 0 waters within 50m: Number of EPR installations within 4 0 0 0 0 50m: Area of SAC within area (ha): 350 200 <50 <50 <50 Area of SPA within area (ha): <50 <50 <50 <50 0 Area of RAMSAR site within area (ha): <50 <50 <50 <50 0 Area of World Heritage Site within 0 0 0 0 0 area (ha): Area of SSSI within area (ha): 4,850 400 100 <50 <50 Area of Parks and Gardens within area 550 <50 <50 <50 0 (ha): Area of Scheduled Ancient Monument 1,150 <50 <50 <50 <50 within area (ha): Number of Listed Buildings within 20 20 10 0 area: Number of Licensed water 20 0 0 <10 0 abstractions within the area:

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Figure 7 Reservoir flood risk extents in the Till and English Tweed catchment.

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Table 7 Summary flood risk from reservoirs to people, economic activity and the natural and historic environment across the Till and Tweed Catchment.

Reservoirs Total in Catchment Maximum extent of flooding Risk to people: Number of people in area: 22950 0 Number of services: 140 0

Risk to economic activity: Number of non-residential properties: 6900 <50 Number of airports: 0 0 Length of roads (km): 50 0 Length of railway (km): <10 0 Agricultural land (ha): 32950 <50

Risk to the natural and historic environment: Number of EU designated bathing waters within 50m: 0 0 Number of EPR installations within 50m: 4 0 Area of SAC within area (ha): 350 <50 Area of SPA within area (ha): <50 0 Area of RAMSAR site within area (ha): <50 0 Area of World Heritage Site within area (ha): 0 0 Area of SSSI within area (ha): 4850 <50 Area of Parks and Gardens within area (ha): 550 0 Area of Scheduled Ancient Monument within area (ha): 1150 0 Number of Listed Buildings within area: 720 <10 Number of Licensed water abstractions within the area: 20 0

Conclusions for the Till and English Tweed catchment

The catchment is very rural with limited flood risk to people and property. We currently carry out limited flood risk management actions to maintain the current level of risk. As flood risk is low, there are limited opportunities at a catchment or community level to manage or reduce flood risk. In carrying out our limited works in the catchment, we need to work closely with all organisations such as the National Park, local land owner and farmers as well as established partnership and risk management authorities to ensure we maximise the benefit our works for flood risk and the wider environment During the winter of 2015/16 a series of storms hit northern England and Scotland. Within the Scottish Tweed river basin district flooding occurred in a number of locations. However the English Till and Tweed were less impacted by the flooding. The majority of the rainfall fell north and west of the English catchments and as such flooding was similar to seasonal winter flooding for this FRMP catchment Flood risk from surface water has not been considered in this draft FRMP. We will work closely with the LLFA to identify whether there are surface water problems, which should be highlighted within the local strategy.

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We will continue to work with the River Restoration Project throughout the Till catchment, works proposed through this will be presented to the communities impacted by the works prior to works taking place

Measures across the Till and English Tweed catchment Across the Till and English Tweed catchment there are 4 measures to manage flood risk. Preventing risk: 2 measures 1. Undertake an assessment of agricultural asset and those which provide no flood defence function to determine if abandonment or reduced maintenance is justified, making sure that any works or decisions undertaken are compatible with the River Tweed SAC / Tweed Catchment SSSI and the River Restoration Plan and Actions 2. Identify the implications of changing the flood regime on the River Tweed SSSI. Particularly in relation to the River Restoration Plan. This should work to identify the potential positive, neutral and negative effects of flooding, taking into account the implications of climate change. These findings should be fed into future plans to change the flood regime of the catchment and ensure that the condition of each SSSI is maintained and where possible improved.

Preparing for risk: 2 measures 1. Consider the vulnerability of key infrastructure such as roads, schools, community buildings and prepare suitable measures to ensure the assets are resilient and are able to remain open or be open rapidly during and after flood events. 2. Establish and maintain a register of structures or features which are likely to have a significant effect on flood risk in the area together with information about them. Use this register to identify the location of pinch points where flood water may overspill.

A table showing a summary of ongoing measures to manage flood risk in the Till and English Tweed Catchment can be found in Part A of the Solway Tweed Flood Risk Management Plan. To see measures across the whole of the Solway Tweed River Basin District please refer to Part A, Section 8 of the Solway Tweed Flood Risk Management Plan

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