1 Hundred Foot Washes Internal Drainage Board
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HUNDRED FOOT WASHES INTERNAL DRAINAGE BOARD Telephone: DD (01354) 602003 Middle Level Offices Fax: (01354) 659619 85 Whittlesey Road E-mail: [email protected] MARCH www.middlelevel.gov.uk Cambs PE15 0AH 16 April 2018 Mr Chairman and Gentlemen Meeting of the Board 23rd April 2018 I enclose the Agenda for the Meeting of the Board to be held at the WWT Welney Wetland Centre at 2.00 pm on Monday the 23rd April 2018. Please telephone or e-mail to confirm your attendance as soon as possible. Yours truly D C THOMAS Clerk to the Board To the Chairman and the Members of the Hundred Foot Washes Internal Drainage Board 1 A G E N D A 1. Apologies for absence 2. Declarations of Interest Members to declare any interests relating to the agenda. 3. Confirmation of Minutes To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting of the Board held on the 11th April 2017. (Copy pages 10-20) 4. Matters arising from the Minutes 5. Appointment of Chairman To appoint the Chairman of the Board. (Present Chairman – S A Calton Esq) 6. Appointment of Vice Chairman To appoint the Vice Chairman of the Board. (Present Vice Chairman – L J Marshall Esq) 7. Election of Board Members The Clerk will report that as the number of candidates for membership did not exceed the number of persons to be elected (TWELVE), the following candidates were elected as Members of the Board for a period of three years from 1st November 2017, viz:- BOWDEN Chris HAMILTON Matthew CALTON Steven Andrew HARRINGTON Paul CARSON Clifford Alexander MARTIN Roger Sydney DAVIS Steve MARSHALL Leigh James FLETCHER Robert TAYLOR Jonathan TOUGH David The Clerk will also report that Mr T Stannard did not seek re-election to the Board and consequently there is now one vacancy on the Board. 2 8. Board Membership Further to minute B.1092, the Clerk will report that as Mr David Hoccom is no longer employed locally by the RSPB, Mr Chris Bowden has been appointed as his replacement. 9. Death of Mr Roger Martin The Clerk will refer to the death of Mr Roger Martin on Sunday the 18th February 2018. 10. Vacancies in Membership To consider the filling of the vacancies in the membership of the Board caused by the resignation of Mr Stannard and the death of Mr Martin. 11. Ouse Washes Land Managers Group Further to minute B.1093, to consider the minutes of the Ouse Washes Land Managers Group dated the 14th March and 12th September 2017. (Copy pages 21-33) 12. Ouse Washes Habitat Group (Ouse Washes Strategic Group) Further to minute B.1094, the Clerk to refer to the Action Notes from the meeting held on the 18th July 2017and will report. (Copy pages 34-35) 13. Water Transfer Licences Further to minute B.1096, the Clerk will refer to a letter received from ADA dated the 27th October 2017 and to his response to Defra and also to the fact that licencing of water transfer came into force on the 1st January 2018. However, only one licence is required per EA water body transferred from even if multiple intakes exist. Therefore the Board will only require one licence which will cost £1,500 and last for 12 years. (Copy pages 36-37) 14. Culverts/Tunnels connecting to the Header Ditch – Mr R Riches Further to minute B.1097, the Clerk to report. 3 15. Ouse Washes Section 10 Reservoir Middle Level and Level South Barrier Bank works Further to minute B.1098, the Clerk will refer to Briefing notes from the Environment Agency dated August, September and October 2017 and will report. (Copy pages 38-43) 16. Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership Scheme The Clerk will refer to a letter received from Cambridgeshire Acre dated 1st May 2017 and will report. (Copy pages 44-47) 17. Tidal River Action Plan Scoping Workshop Further to minute B.1111, the Clerk to report 18. Water Quality Further to minute B.1128, the Vice Chairman to report. 19. Consulting Engineers’ Report To consider the Report of the Consulting Engineers. (Copy pages 48-53) 20. Capital Improvement Programme To review and approve the Board’s future capital improvement programme. (Copy page 54) 21. Washes Superintendents’ Reports To consider the Reports of the Superintendents in respect of the year 2017/2018. (Copy pages 55-58) 22. Environmental Officer’s Newsletter and BAP Report The Clerk to refer to the Environmental Officer’s newsletter, previously circulated to Members, and to consider the most recent BAP Report, together with the information sheets about floating pennywort. (Copy pages 59-74) 4 23. Cleaning of Culverts – 2017/2018 The Clerk to report. 24. Wash Superintendents' Fees To give consideration to the Wash Superintendents' fees for 2018/2019. 25. State-aided Schemes To consider whether to undertake further State-aided Schemes and whether any future proposals should be included in the forward capital forecasts provided to the Environment Agency. 26. Slubbing and spreading work a) Slubbing work Tenders for slubbing work in 2018 will be submitted for consideration by the Board. b) Spreading work To consider whether any spreading work is required during the year. Further to minute B.1107, the Clerk to report. (NB – Natural England’s assent will be required) 27. Applications for byelaw consent The Clerk will report that applications for consent to undertake works in and around watercourses have been approved and granted since the last general meeting of the Board. Name of Applicant Description of Works Date consent granted Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Replace existing 15m length of 13th October 2017 concrete pipe culvert in private watercourse off the IDB Header Drain close to Charity Inlet Mr R W Riches Construction of two culverts 15th November 2017 adjacent to the IDB Header Drain close to Hagen Smart's Inlet 5 28. Environment Agency – Precept a) The Clerk will report that the precept for the financial year 2018/2019 has been fixed at £1,232 representing a rate (including special levies) of 1.19p. The precept for 2017/2018 was £1,214. 29. Association of Drainage Authorities The Clerk will:- a) Annual Conference Report that the Annual Conference of the Association of Drainage Authorities will be held in London on Wednesday the 14th November 2018. b) Annual Conference of the River Great Ouse Branch Report on the Annual Conference of the River Great Ouse branch of the Association held in Prickwillow, Ely on Tuesday the 6th March 2018 and the fact that the administration of this branch has now been passed to the Middle Level Commissioners. c) Subscriptions Report that it is proposed by ADA to increase subscriptions by approximately 1% for 2018, viz:- from £536 to £542. d) Liability of Board Members Refer to a Guidance Note received from ADA dated the 28th September 2017. (Copy pages 75-77) e) Updating IDB Byelaws Refer to a letter received from ADA dated the 20th October 2017. (Copy pages 78-90) f) Floodex 2017 The Clerk will report that Floodex 2019 will be held at The Peterborough Arena on the 27th and 28th February 2019. 30. Capital Programme Strengthening and Delivery The Clerk will refer to the slides presented by the Environment Agency at the Great Ouse IDB and EA Strategic Group meeting on the 19th April 2017. (Copy pages 91-97) 6 31. Middle Level Commissioners and Administered Boards Chairs Meeting The Clerk will report that a meeting of the Chairmen of all of the Middle Level Commissioners' administered Boards was held on the 8th March 2018 to discuss the challenges facing Boards. Innes Thomson, Chief Executive of ADA, spoke on the arrangements adopted by other Boards around the country. Matters raised included:- 1) Advantages, disadvantages and barriers to amalgamation. 2) Future meetings and the opportunity for Boards to request items be added to the agenda. 3) Reviewing Board membership numbers. 4) Frequency of Board meetings. 32. Member training and the appointment of a Health and Safety Officer The Clerk to report. 33. Defra IDB1 Returns The Clerk to report on proposed changes to the Annual Defra IDB1 Returns. 34. Requirements for a Biosecurity Policy The Clerk to report. 35. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The Clerk will refer to the Guidance Note on the implementation of the GDPR and that all organisations must become fully compliant by the 25th May 2018. (Copy pages 98-99) 36. Charging for Environmental Permits The Clerk will report on the consultation on charging for Environmental Permits which closed on the 26th January 2018. It is suggested within the consultation that charging should be designed to recover costs and as such there may be significant increases in the charges for obtaining Environment Agency permits for some IDB activities which require such consents. ADA have responded on behalf of the industry and their response is available on their website, www.ada.org.uk/2018/01/ada- responds-environment-agency-charge-proposals-2018. 7 37. Completion of the Annual Accounts and Annual Return of the Board – 2016/2017 a) To consider the comments of the Auditors on the Annual Return for the year ended on the 31st March 2017. (Copy pages 100-104) b) To consider the Audit Report of the Internal Auditor for the year ended on the 31st March 2017. (Copy pages 105-107) 38. Budgeting The Clerk to refer to the budget update reviewed by the Chairman, with comparison to year end out-turn added, and any actions taken. (Copy page 108) 39. Review of Internal Controls a) To consider the system of Internal Controls. b) To consider the appointment of the Internal Auditor and the proposed Audit Strategy and Audit plan for 2019-2021.