Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan Summary Report December 2009 managing flood risk We are the Environment Agency. It’s our job to look after your environment and make it a better place – for you, and for future generations. Your environment is the air you breathe, the water you drink and the ground you walk on. Working with business, Government and society as a whole, we are making your environment cleaner and healthier. The Environment Agency. Out there, making your environment a better place. Published by: Environment Agency Guildbourne House Chatsworth Road Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1LD Tel: 08708 506 506 Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk © Environment Agency All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Introduction I am pleased to introduce our summary of the Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP). This CFMP gives an overview of the flood risk in the Isle of Wight catchment and sets out our preferred plan for sustainable flood risk management over the next 50 to 100 years. The Isle of Wight CFMP is one of 77 CFMPs for England The main source of flood risk is from river flooding, and Wales. Through the CFMPs, we have assessed surface water and to a lesser extent, groundwater inland flood risk across all of England and Wales for flooding. At present 185 properties are at risk to a 1% the first time. The CFMP considers all types of inland annual probability flood event (taking into account flooding, from rivers, groundwater, surface water and flood defences). These are concentrated in the tidal flooding, but not flooding directly from the sea settlements of Newport and Freshwater. (coastal flooding), which is covered by Shoreline We cannot reduce flood risk on our own, we will Management Plans (SMPs). Our coverage of surface therefore work closely with all our partners to improve and groundwater is however limited due to a lack of the co-ordination of flood risk activities and agree the available information. most effective way to management flood risk in the The role of CFMPs is to establish flood risk future. The key partners we have worked with are Isle management policies which will deliver sustainable of Wight Council, Southern Water, Natural England and flood risk management for the long term. This is Island 2000. essential if we are to make the right investment This is a summary of the main CFMP document, if you decisions for the future and to help prepare ourselves need to see the full document an electronic version effectively for the impact of climate change. We will can be obtained by emailing use CFMPs to help us target our limited resources enquiries@environment-agency. gov.uk or where the risks are greatest. alternatively paper copies can be viewed at any of our This CFMP identifies flood risk management policies to offices in Southern Region. assist all key decision makers in the catchment. It was produced through a wide consultation and appraisal process, however it is only the first step towards an integrated approach to flood risk management. As we all work together to achieve our objectives, we must monitor and listen to each others progress, discuss Toby Willison what has been achieved and consider where we may Regional Director, Southern Region need to review parts of the CFMP. Environment Agency Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan 3 Contents The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk 5 Catchment overview 6 Current and future flood risk 8 Future direction for flood risk management 11 Sub-areas 1 Western Yar 13 2 Newtown River and The Chines 14 3 Lower River Medina and Gurnard Luck 15 4 Palmers Brook, Wootton Creek and Monktonmead Brook 17 5 Lower Eastern Yar 19 6 Upper Eastern Yar and Upper River Medina 20 Map of CFMP policies 21 4 Environment Agency Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk CFMPs help us to understand the • IDBs, water companies and CFMPs aim to promote more scale and extent of flooding now other utilities to help plan their sustainable approaches to managing and in the future, and set policies activities in the wider context flood risk. The policies identified in for managing flood risk within the of the catchment; the CFMP will be delivered through a catchment. CFMPs should be used combination of different approaches. • Transportation planners; to inform planning and decision Together with our partners, we making by key stakeholders such as: • Land owners, farmers and will implement these approaches land managers that manage through a range of delivery plans, • The Environment Agency, who will and operate land for projects and actions. use the plan to guide decisions agriculture, conservation on investment in further plans, The relationship between the CFMP, and amenity purposes; projects or actions; delivery plans, strategies, projects • The public and businesses to and actions is shown in figure 1. • Regional planning bodies and enhance their understanding local authorities who can use the of flood risk and how it will plan to inform spatial planning be managed. activities and emergency planning; Figure 1. The relationship between CFMPs, delivery plans, projects and actions. Policy planning • CFMPs and Shoreline Management Plans. • Action plans define requirement for delivery plans, projects and actions. Policy delivery plans (see note) Projects and actions • Influence spatial planning to reduce risk • Make sure our spending delivers the best and restore floodplains. possible outcomes. • Prepare for and manage floods • Focus on risk based targets, for example (including local flood warning plans). numbers of households at risk. • Managing assets. • Water level management plans. • Land management and habitat creation. Note: Some plans may not be led by us – we may • Surface water management plans. identify the need and encourage their development. Environment Agency Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan 5 Catchment overview The Isle of Wight CFMP covers the smaller sub-catchments (including Some of these sites are recognised combined catchments of the Isle of the Monktonmead Brook, Wootton as being of international importance Wight. The permeable chalk downs Creek, Gurnard Luck, Thorley Brook, and include Ramsar, Special that run through the centre of the Western Yar, and the Chines Protection Areas (SPA) and Special island are the source of the rivers. Streams amongst others). The chalk Areas of Conservation (SAC) sites. Many of the catchments then drain ridge through the centre of the Within the catchment there are also over relatively flat and low lying island has some influence on flow features of national importance land to the sea. With the exception but water in the streams is generally including Sites of Special Scientific of the Chines streams in the south, derived from run-off from the Interest (SSSI), National Nature the rivers flow north over less catchment slopes. Land use and Reserve (NNR) sites and Scheduled permeable deposits before urban development impact on the Monuments (SM). In addition there discharging into the international speed with which water reaches the are also locally important sites and national environmentally channel, and where the natural designated as Sites of Importance designated Solent. With the drainage is altered there is potential for Nature Conservation (SINC), exception of Newport in the centre flood risk. The inability of river water Landscape Character Areas (LCA), of the Island, urban development is to drain to the sea due to tide Local Nature Reserves (LNR) and mostly located along the coast with locking is an issue for flooding on Geological Sites (which are also the inland areas of the Island the island. designated as SSSI sites). A large predominantly rural. part of the Isle of Wight is a The Isle of Wight catchment nationally designated Area of The Isle of Wight contains two larger contains a range of nature Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). sub-catchments (the Eastern Yar conservation, landscape, and and River Medina) and several coastal heritage designated sites. ➜ Looking south to Brighstone Bay. 6 Environment Agency Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan Map 1. Overview map of the Isle of Wight. ‘The inability of river water to drain to the sea due to tide locking is an issue for flooding on the island.’ Environment Agency Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan 7 Current and future flood risk Overview of the current flood risk Where is the risk? Flood risk is the combination of the The main source of flooding in the The map on page 10 illustrates the likelihood of a flood occurring and Isle of Wight CFMP area is from distribution of the flood risk from the consequences caused when it rivers with significant influence from rivers in the Isle of Wight CFMP area does. Serious flooding does not tidal conditions. Risks are most The areas with the highest occur very often in the Isle of Wight significant in Ryde, Freshwater concentration of residential CFMP area, and extreme flooding is and Newport. properties at risk from river flooding very rare. In many parts of the There have been a number of fluvial are tabulated opposite: catchment, flooding brings flood events over the last century, environmental benefits to habitats. particularly on the Western Yar, We have assessed flood risk across River Medina, Eastern Yar and the CFMP area using broad-scale Monktonmead Brook catchments. computer modelling, though Of those events that were recorded, making best use of existing instances affecting more than 10 knowledge and models where properties appear to be fairly low. appropriate. Flood risk figures take into account current flood defences. ➜ Looking east toward The Needles and chalk downs. 8 Environment Agency Isle of Wight Catchment Flood Management Plan How we currently Table 1.