FloodingClick to acrosseditClick Master to edit titleMaster style titleand styleVillages Community Board 23 and 24 Dec 2020 ClickClick to to edit edit Master Master subtitlesubtitle style style

Andrew Waugh ( Council) Paul Burrows (Environment Agency)

26/02/21 1 1 Structure

 Overview of EA and BC Flood Team non- emergency role  Background to event  Flood event  Summary of Impacts of flooding  Roles of and Environment Agency in flood recovery  Work to date on flood recovery  Going forward: • Nelson St, Buckingham on 24 Dec 20. (Aerial photo thanks to Granta BC: Section 19 Flood Investigations – Network Solutions) overview of aims and scope

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Responsible bodies for flood mitigation (non-emergency)

Environment Agency “Main river” fluvial risk – main rivers shown in red in map, right Strategic overview of all sources of flooding

BC Strategic Flood Management Team: Coordinating management of local flood risk from Surface Water Groundwater Ordinary Watercourses

BC Highways (Transport for Buckinghamshire) Flooding on highway

Anglian Water Flooding from foul sewers and surface water sewers they own

Riparian Owners Maintaining bed and banks of watercourses through their land

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL Main river watercourses in this CommunityENVIRONMENT Board – in red AGENCY Background to Event

Six months up to end Nov: 150% of long term average (“Exceptionally high”)  Soils notably wetter than normal by Dec.

Saturated soils therefore unable to retain much of the heavy and prolonged rainfall since early Dec • Rapid arrival of rainfall into ditches and rivers  fluvial flooding • Overland runoff  surface water flooding • Water table higher than normal Total rainfall for hydrological areas across for the 3 months and 6 months up to 30 Nov 2020, relative to an analysis of respective historic totals. (EA and Met Office).

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Flood Event on 23rd Dec • 52mm of rainfall at Brackley within just 16hrs • Rainfall equivalent to 1 in 12 chance event in any given year • Falling onto an already saturated catchment • Dec overall - twice the average monthly rainfall

Cumulative rainfall across the UK on 23 Dec Cumulative rainfall across the river catchment of the Great Ouse on 23 Dec BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Impacts of Event

High-level overview…

 Ordinary watercourse and/or surface water flooding • Significant property flooding in , , Leckhampstead, Thornborough, Thornton

 Infiltration into the foul sewers caused surcharging and sewage flooding in places

 11 roads closed across Board area

 Main river : • Great Ouse reached near record level • Inundation of low-lying areas of Buckingham, Thornborough and Thornton • Led to backing up of SW drainage outfalls in places • River water overwhelmed sewer network in places

• BC have identified 90 properties flooded in total across Board area (TBC)

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Buckinghamshire Council Operational Response – summary

 Numerous road closures across Board area • 15 roads closed – Buckingham, Tingewick, Gawcott, Thornborough, , , Stowe, , plus A422 Cattleford Bends

 Deployment of Transport for Buckinghamshire crews : • 66 separate locations attended • Approximately 460 Sandbags delivered

 Liaison Officers deployed on-the-ground to provide real time situational awareness.  Adult Social Care liaised with known vulnerable clients.  Volunteer 4x4 drivers group deployed to assist reaching vulnerable clients requiring care.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Environment Agency – Operational Response

27 Flood Alerts (90% of all alerts) 41 Flood Warnings (46% of all warnings) 1 Severe Flood Warning

Inc. 28 Flood Warnings between 16:00 on 23 rd and 21:00 on 24 th December

52% (18/34) of river gauges recorded their highest recorded level BC Strategic Flood Management Team – progress against recovery actions from BC Flood Plan

 Collect and analyse relevant flood event data • Gathered reports of flooding on 23/24 Dec 2020 from addresses on over 100 streets across this Community Board area alone • Preliminary exploration of the impacts involved at each report to determine appropriate next steps • Identified 90 properties flooded internally in this Community Board area alone • Determining locations where criteria to trigger a formal Section 19 Flood Investigation have been met

 Engagement with communities, members, and partners on a “best endeavours” basis • Direct interaction with many of the most badly-affected communities through Parish Councils and local Flood Action Groups • Initial site visits and walkovers either already undertaken or planned with several communities

 Participation in multi-agency debriefs to identify lessons learnt • Ongoing regular partner telecons – share info, coordinate response between organisations, understand any gaps at a strategic level

 Consider the requirement for Section 19 investigations, undertaking these as required • More details on following slides…

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Flood recovery plan: Environment Agency

Work stream Key Actions

Staff welfare • Build understanding of staff wellbeing impacts and lessons for future.

Comms and Engagement • Build narrative around the flooding and a reactive & proactive comms and engagement strategy.

Assets • Delivery of asset inspections and repairs. • Delivery of process and resilience improvement projects.* Lessons learnt • Review of lessons learnt from staff, partners and the public and development of recommended actions from this.

Warning and informing • Validation of flood warnings issued. • Identification and delivery of improvements to warning and informing process*

Data and event recording • Collection and analysis of flood event data • Delivery of model updates if necessary* Impacted communities • Development and delivery of specific needs of communities impacted by flooding.*

Existing projects • Review impact of flooding on existing projects (scheme and studies)

* Subject to funding and resources

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Section 19 Flood Investigations

23 S19 investigations completed since 2014. Triggers Formal investigations are commenced where the criteria set out in the Buckinghamshire Local Flood Risk Management Strategy have been met Most common criteria: more than 5 homes flooded internally

Aims Statutory obligation: “Identify whether authorities with relevant flood risk management functions have exercised, or are proposing to exercise, those functions” Within Buckinghamshire we also: • Establish the causes and mechanisms of the flooding • Make recommendations to improve the management of flood risk locally o Recommendations can be “Quick wins” plus long term o Recommendations can help drive forward successful partnership work

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Section 19 Flood Investigations

Limitations  Investigation process does not provide BC with the mandate or funding to tackle all causes of flooding  Recommendations may include further feasibility studies or appraisals (not necessarily to be undertaken by BC)  Delivery of any recommended capital works would be subject to a successful business case  Unfortunately Investigations therefore do not automatically lead to work on the ground  However, “Quick wins” can be identified, and drive positive work between stakeholders

Timescales  Takes time to gather info, engage with necessary stakeholders, fully analyse factors involved and determine any recommendations  High number of S19 investigations now required across the county  Typical completion within 10 months of flood event  Hoping to expedite where possible (appointing consultants to help deliver reports)

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Section 19 Flood Investigations

Confirmed locations for S19s in Community Board area

• Buckingham • Gawcott • Leckhampstead • Thornborough • Thornton • Tingewick

Next Steps • Further “on the ground” site visits will begin to be led by successful consultants within next few weeks • Continue to liaise with Parish/Town Councils and community groups directly Confirmed locations of Section 19 Flood Investigations from Dec 2020 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY