a new beginning

Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document March 2005 Hillfarrance during construction Beach during sea wall construction Committee meeting at December 2004. Tony Owen (Area Manager); Richard Symonds (Flood Defence Manager); Allen Cotton (Chairman); Jane Brookhouse; Hazel Prior-Sankey; Humphrey Temperley (WRFDC Chairman); Brian Livings; Alan Lovell; Ray Adlam; Roger Martin; Peter Burden; Peter Maltby.

Cover: High flow in the . Curry Moor on the left bank. Stan Moor Bank on the right

2 Environ mem Agency Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee A new beginning

A new regional flood defence committee is to take over the work of the Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee (SLFDC). This booklet celebrates the Local Committee’s many achievements and looks at the challenges facing its successor.

The Committee can trace its history in 1965. The Board had come into The Committee’s work would not of responsibility for the Somerset being in 1950 when it added have been possible without the area’s flood defences back to 1932. fishery and pollution prevention support of the Environment In 1989 the Somerset Local Land duties to the role of the Somerset Agency’s Flood Defence staff, Drainage Committee became the River Catchment Board formed in including the Emergency Workforce Somerset Local Flood Defence 1932. (now Operations Delivery). We Committee. The Local Land thank them for their efforts and Drainage Committee had in its turn A single tier of flood defence urge the new committee to continue taken over duties from the committees Is being set up supporting their work. Somerset River Authority on the following the 2003 Flood and formation of Wessex Water Coastal Defence Funding Review. A Authority in 1974. The 1963 Water regional committee for Wessex - the Resources Act had led to the Wessex Regional Flood Defence Somerset River Authority taking Committee (WRFDC) - will be over from the Somerset River Board responsible for Somerset and the rest of the region.

130789 Environment Agen Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 3 BaltmoorWall strengthening at

Flood defence work has traditionally • better flood forecasting and focused on reducing flooding by warning; Flood maps building, operating and maintaining • emergency planning; Flood risk maps have been given defences. Panel 1 (page 5) • land management; to local councils so they can highlights local policies that the • raising awareness. reflect the risk in their emergency 5LFDC commends to the WRFDC. planning and development control These activities are detailed in this policies. Similar maps are on the The Committee has now moved from booklet. Environment Agency’s website, funding defences in reaction to www.environment-agency.gov.uk. events to a more strategic The Committee is pursuing its new investment policy. This follows the strategy by starting work soon on The maps are part of a strategy to shift to Flood Risk Management by Catchment Flood Management give the public better information both the Environment Agency and Plans and revisiting Shoreline about flood risk and provide an the Department for Environment, Management Plans. It is also initial assessment of risk. The Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). looking at the idea of moving back Committee supports a national banks along rivers and the coast. modelling programme that will Flood Risk Management means that produce more detailed flood risk the results of flooding can be data. reduced by not only built defences but also:

■A Environment Age: Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Panel 1 SLFDC policies recommended to WRFDC

• Where the justification of continuing maintenance of assets is questionable an option of promoting set-back should be given positive consideration.

• The prolonging of the life of existing assets through programmed maintenance is preferable to allowing deterioration requiring asset replacement.

• The Environment Agency should not promote schemes to protect single isolated properties, but should consider contributing towards acceptable solutions promoted by the individual property owner.

• The Committee has been at the forefront of promoting the consideration of catchment-wide solutions for flood risks, and supports the Catchment Flood Management Plan approach to producing policies for the future management of flood risk.

Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee

Flood warning

Taunton Cattle Market Doppler Gauging Station installation

The Committee is overseeing a big The Environment Agency works with improvement in the flood warning local communities in flood risk Emergency plans service. A programme to raise public areas which ensures their needs are Flood emergency response plans awareness is helping people help understood and catered for. Flood must be kept up to date. We help themselves. It is also reducing warden schemes are being set up other authorities review their unrealistic expectations of what the and some are already operating. emergency plans. Local flood Environment Agency can do - many warning plans have been people think the Agency can stop implemented and joint practices flooding altogether. held to test the plans so that we can work well together in a real event.

6 ErtviK'tiiiipni Age Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Hankeridge Farm, during high flows in the River Tone

The Committee has tried to ensure • creates or worsens flooding that flood risk to development is elsewhere; Success stories minimised. It has done this by prejudices future work needed to The Committee has overseen promoting the Government’s reduce flood risk; successful working with others on guidance on development in flood • harms the environment. development sites at Hankeridge risk areas, and by giving advice and Farm, Taunton; Portishead and help on flood defence issues. Natural floodplains must be kept Portbury Dock; Express Park, The Committee has stressed that and, where possible, restored so Bridgwater; and the at development should not take place that flood water can be stored. Uphill. There have been if it: improvements to wildlife habitats at these sites as well as flood • creates an unacceptable flood risk defence benefits. that could endanger lives, damage property or mean Development pressures are inappropriate spending on increasing and the Committee is repairs; keen for the Environment Agency to be part of the growing number of exciting opportunities opening up. Negotiations are ongoing for major developments in Taunton town centre, at Norton Fitzwarren and on the River .

Environment Agenc Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 7 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee

The Somerset drainage area

Eighteen rivers flow into the along the Somerset coast. The estuary has the second highest tidal range in the world. This has a big effect on water levels in the tide-locked and Moors and along the coast.

Steep streams drain the north edge of in the west of the county. Run-off from other hilly areas - the Blackdowns, Dorset Hills, Mendips and Quantocks - flows across flat lowlands in tide-locked channels that are often embanked.

Taunton, Bridgwater, , and Wells are market towns, while Minehead, Burnham, Weston- super-Mare and are coastal resorts.

These main towns have many built flood defences. However, the Somerset Levels and Moors have been the major focus for expenditure because they are internationally-important wetlands. Uphill Sluice construction

8 Environment Asf Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005

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- bm m * M«|or1 own* M«|or1 eapuaeri FfWuslmiu too too 300 400 0- too too 0- 200 | 0 3 e based on Otdnanoe Survey Ltuidtrie — I------Railway Legend Topography Elevation (metres) map nahts itf^ivad. Environment Agency. This proditcert lor the Environment Agency Odnance Survey all Aerial imagery is copyright Getmapping pic. © Crown© copyright A l rights reserved f Bristol Severn Minehead Map showing the boundary of the Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee

Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 vo Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Key details

The following are key statistics about the Committee’s River flood defences for which the Committee is area: responsible:

Total area 306,600 ha Watercourses (main river) 871 km Population 684,000 Pumping stations 21 No. 43,800 ha Area at risk of flooding Major gates/control structures 250 No. Of which: agricultural land 26,500 ha housing 36,823 No. Raised embankments (fluvial) 784 km industry 49 ha Area below sea level 635 km Coastal and tidal flood defences for which the Major infrastructure Committee is responsible: motorway 81 km dual carriageway 34 km 87km ‘A’ roads 124 km Raised embankments (tidal rivers) main railway 200 km Coastal flood defences 38 km International environmental sites The Environment Agency also owns 162 bridges in the (SACS, SPA, RAMSAR) 16,200 Ha commiuee s area. National environmental sites 25000Ha (NNR, SSSI, A0NB, National Park, Scheduled Ancient Monuments)

The following table shows the major urban locations and their properties at risk:

Name Total Properties Properties in the Proportion (%) 1% risk floodplain

Weston-super-Mare 30965 9659 31.19 Bridgwater 15742 7716 49.02 Clevedon 9298 6057 65.14 Burnham on Sea and Highbridge 7618 5298 69.55 Taunton 24021 1923 8.01 Portishead 6317 761 12.05 Minehead 5044 659 13.07 1030 335 32.52 Glastonbury 3631 218 6.00 Sherborne 4427 205 4.63 llchester 453 127 28.04 1113 42 3.77 Williton and Sampford Brett 859 28 3.26 Wellington 4260 18 0.42 Yeovil 16988 12 0.07 llminster 1796 11 0.61

1 0 Environment Agency Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee

"he Somerset Levels and Moors ■

Some 635 square kilometres of the Levels and Moors are extremely vulnerable to flooding because they are below mean high tide level.

This area was an inlet of the sea 8,000 years ago. The sea gradually receded over the next 2,000 years and was replaced by saltmarsh, fen and bog, with thick peat deposits building up.

The Abbot of Glastonbury and the Bishop of Bath and Wells were recorded in the Domesday Book as owning vast tracts of floodable land. They were the first to make large- scale river improvements and build sea embankments.

Today’s land drainage system Raised water level area originates from the local enclosure and drainage Acts of the 18th and The Environment Agency now, in The Committee’s management of 19th centuries. These divided the consultation with the internal water levels in the carriers is vitai for moors into thousands of fields drainage boards, operates and many reasons: managing flood risk, separated by rhynes. Most of these maintains 21 pumping stations and agriculture - through provision of enclosure schemes demanded the hundreds of sluices on the Levels irrigation and ‘wet fences’ - and building of high-level carriers - and Moors. wildlife on the moors. Sixteen rivers flowing between high moors are Sites of Special Scientific embankments. The high-level carriers have large Interest (SSSIs) and 12 of these gates where they meet the estuary. form the Special Protection Area Drainage boards evolved in the 19th These stop tides moving up the under the European Birds Directive. century to remove flood water that rivers, reducing the impact on spilled from the carriers to the flooding and keeping a fresh water moors. Then pumps started to habitat. The is the only replace gravity drainage from 1830. river without a tidal sluice.

Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Panel 2 Issues for WRFDC consideration The following are schemes in the SLFDC area whose feasibility will require early determination

Somerset Levels and Moors mechanisms for funding are not Bridges Strategies for improving flood risk clear, and decisions on the area’s The Environment Agency owns 162 are at various stages. There is a defences will still be outstanding. bridges within the SLFDC area. need to reduce flood risk in the light North Wessex Area is trying to of climate change and, by 2010, Taunton promote a national approach to the achieve ‘favourable condition’ at Remodelling of the River Tone has funding of strengthening, repair and designated sites. shown a good level of protection replacement of such non-flood risk from the Tone alone. However, there assets. Parrett and Tone dredging is still a need to consider the risks A programme of monitoring has one from the Critical Ordinary Asset modernisation more year to run before a decision Watercourses when backed up from The ongoing programme of on any future programme needs to high levels in the Tone. These COWs modernising and refurbishing of the be made. become Main River in 2006. area’s assets including pumping stations and major sluice gate Parrett tidal sluice Weston-super-Mare installations needs to take account In the absence of a current The Environment Agency is a partner of the fact that many are not justification on flood risk grounds in the production of necessary for flood risk management. alone, the Committee has been a ‘Vision’ for Weston. The Council’s trying to get another partnership sea defences are generally below Shoreline Management Plans 2 interest to take a lead. Studies the standard of Agency defences on The Coastal Group’s promotion of continue on the impact on the the North Somerset coast. The this improved study of strategic Parrett Estuary together with any vision will need to consider a flood policies for coastal cells includes resolution of Steart Peninsula risk assessment for the River significant amounts of consultation, options, and the sluice is still a Banwell, and mitigation works to and requires the Environment possible future option in preference allow for the impact of new Agency’s involvement and support. to bank works to deal with climate development. change impact on Bridgwater. Fluvial flood banks The Committee has only just begun Many lengths of banks requiring Parrett banks considering those flood risk refurbishment over the next few A programme of strengthening and locations, especially in West years would be ideal candidates for raising of the whole length of both Somerset, which are vulnerable to a set-back schemes if a funding banks of the tidal Parrett needs to ‘Boscastle’ type event. These are mechanism to encourage landowner be kept under review. being identified, and then there will co-operation can be found. be a need to consider resulting Steart Peninsula impacts and what if anything can be Other studies to be undertaken Studies and consultation with those done to minimise them. include a technical review of the affected have produced options for Mid-Parrett and for the Upper Yeo significant set-back. However, and the Upper Isle.

1 2 Environment Agency Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Porlock Shingle Ridge

About 30,000 homes are protected low-lying land. Some of this land has The Committee has reviewed the by the 38km of coastal flood recently been developed for continued maintenance of defences defences for which the Committee is housing, such as around Weston- in some places. Its Shoreline responsible. The population of the super-Mare. Management Plan sets out where it’s Somerset coast is swollen by questionable to keep spending thousands in summer, with many All sea walls and other structures money on coastal protection. visitors staying in seaside caravans keeping out tides along the coast and chalets in vulnerable areas. have been refurbished over the last At Porlock, the Committee halted 20 years. This work is crucial to spending on the shingle ridge and The threat comes from high tides protecting the coast. allowed it to be breached. and winds whipping up surges. The coast is protected by sea walls, The Committee has transformed the On the Steart Peninsula, the line of shingle banks, beaches and salt sea fronts at Minehead, Brean, Brue protection could be moved back to marshes. Breaches in these Pill and Uphill with recent homes and farms that must be defences would not just damage improvements to sea defences. It defended, leaving some of the land properties and roads along has offered to help North Somerset to become flooded. This approach seafronts. They would also let in improve Weston-super-Mare’s would be cost-effective and create salt-water, damaging large areas of defences. more wildlife habitats.

Environment A- > Somerset Local Rood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee

Managing flood risk from rivers

Most Somerset homes and businesses at risk are in rural areas, but some urban areas in Taunton, llchester, llminster and Yeovil are also at risk. The standard of protection for major towns is against the worst flood that could happen in 100 years for rivers or 200 years for tidal areas.

Rivers in are fast- flowing and floods can happen quickly, threatening lives. Roods on the Levels and Moors rise slowly as the rivers overspill their high embankments, and can last for weeks. The small number of properties at risk can have several days’ warning. However, floods on the Levels and Moors could threaten River Parrett bank strengthening at Stathe, 2000. lives if the embankments were breached.

A programme for inspecting rivers Improvements that are economically, the transfer of Critical Ordinary and their flood defences has been technically and environmentally Watercourses to the Environment produced based on risk. Significant sound are proposed where defences Agency. This will entail an increase stretches of defences and many are insufficient. of 96.3 km on the length of main assets such as sluices need work to river by 2006. The WRFDC needs to ensure they withstand severe Panel 2 (page 12) highlights make allowance for the consequent conditions. imminent schemes the SLFDC increase in maintenance and recommends the WRFDC to support operations, and the possibility of the The Committee has done its best to in the future. need for capital schemes on these regularly maintain its own defences new reaches. so they work as well as possible. The Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review outcomes announced in March 2003 included

1 4 Environment Agency Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Athelney Spillway running flood water from Curry Moor. Baltmoor Wall in the foreground.

The Committee, the Environment frequency of flooding along the decide on the value of future Agency and partners have adopted Parrett and Tone, especially on Curry dredging programmes. a strategic approach to the River Moor and Stan Moor. Parrett that is catchment-wide. This Pumping stations are being followed frequent and severe The strengthening and raising of modernised to ensure they are flooding of the Somerset Levels and Stan Moor Bank in 2003 won an ready when needed and can Moors in the 1990s. Institution of Civil Engineers Merit produce the water levels needed, Award. Baltmoor Wall was especially for wildlife conservation. This approach involved widespread strengthened to meet the Pumping stations are also needed consultation with local communities requirements of the Reservoirs Act to remove water after the moors and organisations. It has since been to reduce flood risk to villages have been used to store flood water used as a good example of downstream. that spills over from the high-level integrated flood management for carriers. river catchments. River banks on the Parrett are being strengthened. Trial dredging of the The Committee has targeted its river downstream of is recent spending on reducing the being closely monitored to help to

men Somerset Local Hood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Bristol Avon Local Flood Defence Committee The future Improvements to flood defences for villages - such as the recent ones at Ham and Hillfarrance - will need to be funded from the local levy. This is \ y 5* * because they would lose out to larger urban schemes in and Wales under the new grant-in- aid priorities.

National targets concentrate on protecting homes, although targets are being produced for infrastructure and environmental assets. Funding will be allocated to national priorities in future. Funding for a proposed scheme will rely on a watertight case that shows its benefit against cost and its need relative to other schemes nationwide. Completed sea wall at Minehead

The new Wessex Regional Committee The Committee has agreed a must consider moving back raised programme of strengthening bridges river banks. This is because the for which the Environment Agency is focus is on flood risk to properties responsible. Work on some bigger and there is no justification for road bridges has been done with the protecting fields from flooding. Highways Authority.

The benefits of moving back flood The Committee supports the banks are that it: Environment Agency in its approach to health and safety as an important • reduces maintenance costs; override to other considerations. A • reduces risk by shifting the focus lot of work has gone into ensuring on to the integrity of smaller lines public safety at all the Committee’s of defences; structures over the last five years. releases land that can be used as an improved habitat for wildlife.

i 6 Lnvitoi'ineni a Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Gold Comer Pumping Station diesel engines

The Committee has worked to help The Committee’s vision for the The Flood Risk Management promote wildlife conservation on Levels and Moors is that: Strategy focuses spending on the Levels and Moors. It published a reducing flood risk to homes, with Strategy for Water Level • farming and other local industries infrastructure and environmental Management and Nature continue being successful and assets as a lower priority. It does Conservation in 1991. Since then it help achieve conservation not allow funding to be used to has promoted 1,018 hectares of targets; reduce flood risk to agriculture, and Raised Water Level Areas - wetlands • internationally-important works for Water Level Management where water levels are kept wetlands and archaeology are have to compete with works for artificially high. properly conserved and protection of houses in the priority improved; scheme. Other ways to achieve 95% The Committee produced • use of wetlands supports the ‘Favourable Conditions or Partnership Action Plans for Water local economy and helps Improving’ for the Special Protection Level Management in 1999 and a communities thrive; Area must be found by 2010. Water Management Strategy for the widespread understanding of this Parrett Catchment in 2002. unique landscape’s value; • sustainable management of excess water.

Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Funding

The Committee recognised in 2000 that there was not enough investment in flood defence in Somerset because of the large number of its assets and the relatively low population. Investment fell short of meeting the Government’s aim and objectives.

The Committee worked with other flood defence authorities to make people aware of how difficult it is with the existing system to raise enough money to maintain sustainable flood defences for Somerset. Efforts to raise sufficient funding need to be maintained with the new grant-in-aid and local levy funding system.

The Committee prioritises its use of funds in the following way, while still recognising its environmental obligations:

1. Regulatory activity - consenting - enforcement - development control Flood forecasting and warning Steart Peninsula Flood risk mapping to support the above Emergency response - e.g. operating structures and clearing channels 2. Investment justification, in relation to 3, 4 and 6 below 3. Maintenance of flood defences to existing levels of service 4. Renewal of flood defences to existing levels of service 5. Supervisory rote including asset surveys 6. Improvements to flood defences above the existing level of service - for existing defended areas - for new areas

1 8 Environment Agency Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee A changing climate

Uphill habitat enhancement works

Floods in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 The Committee supports a study realign coastal defences at Porlock and 2000 have shown that extreme into the viability of a tidal sluice on and on the Steart peninsula. weather is becoming more frequent. the River Parrett. This would be an Climate change is becoming alternative to raising the level of Somerset's flood defence universally accepted but its impact defences in Bridgwater. The authorities will face some tough is difficult to predict. proposal shows the large amount of decisions in the long term about the work required to successfully managed re-alignment of coastal We should expect long spells of progress options for major defences. It will be impossible to heavy rain and generally more partnerships. Such partnerships are keep things as they are, and extreme weather conditions. So likely to be needed more and more essential to form early partnerships climate change is vital when when tackling large projects. to tackle the issues in a sustainable considering the long-term approach way. to flood risk management. The The Somerset coast is vulnerable to Levels and Moors have been sea level rise. The Committee has identified as vulnerable to sea level already been involved in plans to rise.

Environment A?f Somerset Local Flood Defence Committee Handover Document 2005 1 9 Would you like to find out more about us, or about your environment?

Then call us on 08708 506 506 (Mon-Fri 8-6) email [email protected] or visit our website www.environment-agency.gov.uk incident hotline 0800 80 70 60 (24hrs) floodline 0845 988 1188

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