Summary of West Catchment Management Groups Workshop Mungrisdale Village Hall, 6th November 2018

Attendees:

32 people attended the workshop

Adam Briggs – NFU John Ferguson – Highways Andrew Harrison - John Gorst – United Utilities Annabelle Kennedy – West Cumbria Rivers Trust John Malley – National Trust Anthony Lane – Cumbria County Council Keira Armstrong – Environment Agency Barry Chambers – Borough Council Louisa Simpson-Brown – United Utilities Caitlin Pearson - West Cumbria Rivers Trust Michael Holt-Baines - Cumbria County Council Cath Johnson– National Park Neil Harnott – Cumbria Wildlife Trust Chris Evans – Environment Agency Neville Elstone – Cumbria Woodlands Christina Worsley - Newground Paul Barnes – Community/Farming representative David Bechelli – Copeland Borough Council Peter Miles – Environment Agency David Kennedy – Environment Agency Rachel Osborne – Highways England Doug Coyle - Cumbria County Council Sam Townend – Environment Agency Faith Cole – Derwent Community representative Tim Duckmanton – Lake District National Park Jack Abernethy – River Corridors Group/Derwent Veronica Waller – Farmer Network Owners Association Vikki Salas - West Cumbria Rivers Trust Jan Darrell – Friends of the Lake District Viv Lewis – Foundation for Common Land Jo Ratcliffe – Environment Agency

Meeting presentations are available on the attached Powerpoint slides. Any questions and discussions are summarised below.

Project Pipeline Vikki Salas (West Cumbria Rivers Trust)

The project pipeline now contains all projects, not just those with specific flood drivers. All the projects that we were aware of have been added but will need updating. Please update by 12th November using the google spreadsheet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15SKBeMte6kpiH_v5XimW8QM3NWQfmT- wNIndMFsl4Qk/edit#gid=1172685711

There was a discussion about whether the project list is being used to its full potential given the effort that goes in to collating the spreadsheet. Chris Evans (EA) – It is a brilliant resource and highlights opportunities to link with other ongoing projects and create partnerships but we need to we need to make the system slicker and easier to use. Could make an access database so we can pull in hotspot data. Chris Evans is working on a system with South Cumbria Rivers Trust. Action: Chris Evans to bring ideas to steering group to make systems align across all three CMGs.

Keira Armstrong – Environment Agency: we need to make sure the list highlights where there are opportunities and informs a forward plan. In future the CMG could be used to highlight any issues or blockers to projects. If members of the CMG cannot help address problems, it can be escalated to CSFP or North West RFCC.

Project working group updates

Environment Agency – Capital Flood Defence Schemes- Sam Townend Appraisal work is ongoing and several schemes are progressing. All projects have been through viability checks and some dropped out at this stage, mainly due to them being economically inviable at the present time (, , Keswick and ). Bootle, Blennerhasset and Baggrow, and Lorton had initial appraisals but no viable options were found. Viable schemes are being taken forward: - Egremont had build approval and will progress over winter, firstly with property level protection. - , Flimby and Braithwaite are at the are now at the detailed options evaluation. - Ennerdale bridge short listing of preferred options. Natural Flood Management was included as an option for all areas and is likely to be a significant element of schemes in Wigton, Flimby and Ennerdale bridge. The schemes that currently are not viable may be able to progress in the future if partnership funding is available but the funding shortfall for many of the projects is very large (see slides). They are included in future spending reviews. The Environment Agency are continuing to pursue FCRM in these areas in other ways (e.g. looking into Thirlmere releases and utilising Crummock water) and are part of partner led projects where they will look for joint opportunities and provide support. Appraisal summaries for all areas will be available online soon. Doug Coyle – Cumbria County Council – The CMG need to have sight of the spending review for the next six years and input into what we want to put forward. Vikki invited the community to bring forward anything the Flood Action groups are working on, such as the ‘Special case for Cumbria’ paper so that it could get input and the formal backing of the CMG. Faith Cole – Sue Hayman MP has asked for a paper from the community/FAGs to highlight the pitfalls in the funding formula, which will be taken to Therese Coffey. Cumbria County Council – Flood Defence Schemes- Doug Coyle There is a new team within CCC to specifically look at capital flood schemes. Kate Luxton is on a two-year secondment from Environment Agency, Andrew Harrison and Jenny Brough (part time from Jan 2019) will be working on developing an increased scope of NFM and engineered flood defence projects. Projects need approval from the Environment Agency and then from CCC Strategic infrastructure group. The current projects within West Cumbria CMG area being developed are: - East culverts - Fairways attenuation, Seascale - Gosforth – majority of the project will be NFM, will look to partners to help with delivery/biodiversity benefits. Also some upsizing of pipework through the village. - Moresby - Penrith Road - Railway Terrace, Seascale - Santon way, Seascale – received funding from NW RFCC - Cumbria Coastal strategy - Tallentire and Ravenglass are pipeline projects for 2021 -2027

Flimby – Sam Townend (Environment Agency) In early August a shortlisting workshop was held with partner organisations and options agreed. Community day held in September and the options were accepted. Options include channel diversions, infrastructure improvements, upstream storage and NFM. NFM will be delivered by both the DEFRA NFM programme (£2.6 million pot), for which the business case has been improved and through Flood Defence GiA as part of the capital scheme. There is lots of landowner buy-in and with 15 leaky dams to be delivered over this winter and monitoring of their effectiveness. Water sampling and ground investigations are underway. There will be a community and landowner meeting in January to refine the preferred options. A66 Portinscale Highways Scheme – John Ferguson (Highways England) The working group met last week which was a very positive meeting. Over the last few months the consultants have been pulling in information from lots of sources to create an accurate hydraulic and hydrological model of the area including Newlands valley, Braithwaite village, Portinscale and the effects of the river Derwent. The model is currently being checked with some ground truthing and should be finished before Christmas. When everyone is happy with it, the model will be used to look at potential solutions.

There are three potential parts to a project:

- Slow the Flow measures in the upper Newlands catchment - River restoration in Newlands valley. Currently at feasibility study stage inc. sediment modelling. Led by WCRT. - Braithwaite flood defences – the Highways England model will be used to look at wider implications of EA scheme and partnership funding options are being explored. River Annas NFM There has been limited progress since the last meeting. With funding from Woodland Trust and Slow the Flow local levy we are continuing to undertake farm NFM scoping visits. There are lots of potential opportunities. There are still a few farms to visit and will then think about approaching Commoners with support from Farmer Network and Natural England. An application to Slow the Flow local levy for delivery money, starting in 2019. A working group meeting was recently postponed and will be rearranged for December.

St. John’s working group – Update provided by APEM

The St. John’s beck restoration project aims to look at the feasibility of restoration options on the St John’s Beck. The St John’s Beck forms part of the River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake Special Area of Conservation and is a good salmon river, but its geomorphology is extensively altered.

Solutions to the flow regime and to improving the physical structure of the St John’s Beck are unlikely to prove sustainable without a sound geomorphological understanding. They also need to provide a benefit to the river and its floodplain in its widest sense. Likewise, they are unlikely to be sustained without uptake by other stakeholders. Therefore, as well as a technical element, the river restoration project has strong elements of stakeholder engagement and Natural Capital (to understand the benefits provided to all parties by the Beck).

In the technical area we have significantly developed our understanding of the geomorphology of the beck. We have collated data, mapped the physical interventions along the beck and reviewed the various existing models. We have also set out our outline Natural Capital method and made initial contact with stakeholders covering most if not all uses of the Beck.

There have been some delays with the project due to the dry summer which prevented flow trials being undertaken to inform sediment transport models and diverted EA and UU staff resource from the project. We are committed to completion by the end of March 2019.

Next steps: - By end 2018 - document our geomorphological understanding and assessment of Natural Capital. - Jan 2019 - Set out plausible river restoration options - Early 2019 - Further stakeholder and community engagement to explore which options are most appropriate.

The restoration project is distinct from initiatives by United Utilities (on which APEM is also the consultant) which is focussed on ensuring that changes to operation of Thirlmere Reservoir do not impact upon the condition of the St John’s Beck. Even so, the restoration project is closely tied to the hydromorphology project - they are linked by the need to understand the hydrology and geomorphology of the St John’s Beck, and the effects on these of Thirlmere Reservoir, recent very large flood events and of numerous morphological interventions along the Beck. These interventions include, for example, gravel extraction, straightening and extensive embankments cutting the river off from its floodplain.

Doug Coyle – CCC – Are tributaries, which contribute large volumes of sediment to St. John’s beck, being considered in the modelling? CCC would like more information from APEM / Natural England. Cocker & Glenderamackin catchment NFM projects – Vikki Salas There are now project officers in post with WCRT to lead these projects (Clair Payne for the Glenderamackin and Annabelle Kennedy for the Cocker catchment). Scoping is underway and lots of small scale options have been identified. The business case for delivery money from the DEFRA NFM programme will be submitted as soon as possible. First working group meeting is in December and will be a joint meeting but will be separated going forward. The working group will have landowner and community representation. River Keekle – Written update provided by Luke Bryant (West Cumbria Rivers Trust)

Phase 1 (Demo site) - funded by the EA, this involves c.140m of plastic liner removal in the summer of 2019, to test the methodology and learn lessons (this is a highly innovative and unique project)

Through the Cumbria River Restoration Programme the EA has (to date) funded the design and planning process of Phase 1. Funds for delivery of Phase 1 are yet to be confirmed but this is a high priority project and WCRT hope to hear positive news very soon.

Phase 2 – funded by WEG (if successful)- involves the full-scale removal of the remaining plastic from a 2.2km stretch of the Keekle. WCRT are optimistic regarding the WEG application (NE have advised results could be announced in Jan/Feb). Pre-meeting update – A European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) outline bid was also submitted in November.

Should we be unsuccessful with WEG, we will still deliver Phase 1 in partnership with the EA and then seek additional funding for the remainder of the restoration project. NFM monitoring and Q-NFM – Update provided by Caitlin Pearson from Q-NFM team led by Lancaster University. Twelve flumes are now up and running across Cumbria. Many captured data from Storm Callum. The telemetry flume at Flimby was only installed on 4th November so is just starting to capture data. The live feed on a public facing website will be available in the next few weeks. Plots have been set up to measure soil properties, wet canopy evapotranspiration and overland flow. These picked up some useful data during storm Callum and more plots will be set up over winter.

The first catchment scale modelling has just been completed, of the Kent catchment. This is a more sophisticated model than has previously been used for NFM studies. Once the results are digested and compared to previous models, Nick Chappell will circulate a summary of the findings. The next catchment will be the Derwent upstream of Cockermouth, which is three times larger than the Kent at ~ 600 km2.

Project Timeline We want CMG meetings to be as productive and useful as possible. Having a timeline to capture upcoming events, funding opportunities, milestones, consultations and engagement will help with planning meeting agendas and sharing information with CMG members. Members were asked to add dates to a timeline on the wall or to email to Vikki Salas with any agenda items for future meetings.

Highways England confirmed there is no deadline for applications to their Environment Fund and to bring ideas to them at any time to discuss. By 7th December Highways England have locked in what they are delivering in the next financial year but this is not a deadline. https://highwaysengland.co.uk/designated-funds/our-funds/environment-fund-page/ Flooding incidences on the road should be logged as they need to be logged five times before they are recorded as a hotspot.

New projects and Funding

United Utilities – Catchment Planning an WINEP – Louisa Simpson-Brown

United Utilities have well established catchment management programmes for safeguarding provision of clean water but haven’t traditionally undertaken catchment management around waste water sites. Louisa’s role is a new role looking at novel waste water treatment methods and opportunities to work with partners to reduce diffuse water pollution and flooding. See attached presentations for examples of partnership projects from Merseyside, Douglas, Ribble, Lune and Ellen. There are only two staff members in the role across the whole of United Utilities area. The Water Industry Natural Environment Programme – Now looking to the AMP 7 cycle 2020 – 2025. The EA have set five regulatory targets for the , including reducing storm spills and reduce faecal coliforms. This is linked to the regulatory driver of Allonby south bathing water, which may be de-designated, so will find out in early 2019 whether the project will go ahead. Looking for partner organisations to help with catchment management to reduce faecal coliform. UU can only fund capital investment with legal agreements for landowners to maintain structures. Action: Any members with an interest in or information on the Ellen to contact Louisa.

John Gorst (United Utilities) – All the work on Thirlmere upstream management is included in the WINEP. Until now this has relied on using agri-environment schemes but these have not achieved improvements in water quality so they are now looking at new and innovative methods and including consideration of geomorphology and sediment dynamics. Vikki Salas – There are opportunities around the West Cumbria supplies project such as Overwater and Crummock. These are not currently on our projects pipeline, United Utilities need to think about how the CMG can feed into these projects.

Water Environment Grants funding update – Jo Ratcliffe (Environment Agency) See attached presentation for details of the number of applications received. Many projects have received requests for further information and a breakdown of costs. When this has been received successful projects will receive agreements. Due to delays there is no longer a requirement to spend some money by March 2019.

Fourteen projects were put forward by the West Cumbria CMG and thirteen have received requests for further information. The CCC led Santon way project will be withdrawn from WEG funding as it has received funding through RFCC local levy and will go ahead this winter. WCRT, National Trust and Allerdale Borough Council will progress their projects but there are a number of issues and uncertainties. Varying levels of detail are available and quotes for delivery are not possible to obtain for interventions that require feasibility studies or scoping work. It will be possible to put in variation forms later in the project if costs change after scoping. If projects are successful, organisations may not be able to bank roll the projects as payment is made in arrears with payments made up to 1 month after a claim. Need to look at CCC or EA or Natural England for providing bridging loans.

This led to a wider discussion about how funding application processes work and how they potentially discriminate against smaller organisations with the burden on charities to undertake large amounts of work. There is no funding available for the time spent on putting applications together. Two approaches were suggested to overcome this issues; influence to change the application processes or look to private investment instead of relying on Government funding streams. We need to have an opportunity to feedback on the WEG application process. It would also be useful if applicants could get feedback from NE/EA on why projects were not successful.

Action: Jo Ratcliffe to ask whether/how there is opportunity to feedback on the application procedure and to invite national team to attend the next CMG.

DEFRA Environment Land Management Trials – provided by Keira Armstrong (Environment Agency) from Environment Agency leads and Neville Elstone (Cumbria Woodlands)

Trials are being developed to look at the potential direction of future of agri-environment schemes after Brexit. This is being led by the Catchment Pioneer, through the Lake District National Park Authority Post CAP working group. The trials will look at payments for outcomes and will take place in the Waver/Wampool catchment and Upper Derwent (extent not yet defined).

There are three phases to the trials:

Phase 1 – Engagement and evidence gathering

Phase 2 – Application of plans, trialling methods on the ground

Phase 3 – Review and reporting back to Government

The trials will look at how whole farm management plans are produced to ensure wider benefits and are part of a coordinated approach at the sub-catchment scale.

The trials are funded by DEFRA but funding has only been committed until April 2019. From now until April 2019 is a preparatory stage, looking at what should be in a management plan with no implementation. Land trials and payments for outcomes will be implemented at a later stage. There is a lot of uncertainty about the process.

Questions and comments from the CMG members:

- The results of the NFM programme should feed into this, especially with reference to paying land owners to maintain NFM features on their land. - How do we prevent people doing negative things as well as encouraging positive things (e.g. removing woodlands)? - The CMGs should be used as vehicles for engagement as much as possible. - The sub-catchment plans the CMG is producing should feed into this. - There are particular difficulties around areas with joint ownership. Our Common Cause – Viv Lewis (Foundation for Common Land)

See slides for more details.

This is a Heritage Lottery funded project around the management of Common land. It aims to improve the general understanding of Commons, look at ways of managing Commons for public benefit and encourage learning about better partnership working.

Very little research has been done about Commons, the Common Cause project is commissioning lots of research e.g. what effects does peat restoration have on the livelihoods of Commoners. The project will map the value of public goods on Commons.

Paul Barnes acknowledge the complexity of the topic and that we need to find a middle ground between promoting productivity at the expense of other ecosystem services and promoting environmental measures without consideration of economic and social factors. Conservation is not preservation of neglect. Consultations

Current consultations relevant to the CMG – Vikki Salas

Landscapes review (Glover report) – This is a call for evidence to inform a review considering the next steps for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) in EnglandClosing date 18th Dec. We will not be writing a response from the CMG as there will be a variety of views within the group but would encourage people to respond. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-landscapes-national-parks-and-aonbs-2018-review

Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board consultation - Seeking views on what AHDB’s future role and activities should be and whether levies should be pay on the same basis as at present. This will not be relevant to all CMG members but may be of interest to those with a direct interest in farming. Closing date 9th Nov.

Whinlatter Forest Plan - Closing date has been extended to 1st December. Vikki has written a response from West Cumbria Rivers Trust and would encourage other organisations to respond. https://consult.forestryengland.uk/forest-districts/whinlatter2018/ Jan Darrell (Friends of the Lake District) highlighted that a consultation on the Blengdale forest plan will be opening soon.

River Basin Management Plan: Working Together - This is a consultation by the Environment Agency on how they should consult on the next RBMPs. This is welcome as it ensures that all relevant parties and plans are considered and we can highlight the role of the CMGs/Catchment Partnerships. The closing date is 22nd December.

Vikki has drafted a response on behalf of the CMG. All members should review the response and feedback to Vikki with any points, plans or stakeholders that have been missed. A key point in this response is that flood risk management plans and RBMP are still separate whereas the CMG feels that integrated catchment management should address all drivers.

Action: All members to feedback to Vikki on the draft response by 5th December.