River Hull and Humber Masterplan Update

Briefing Paper to the Planning Committee Wards: All 17 September 2013 River Hull & Humber Masterplan Update Report of the City Planning Manager 1. Purpose of the Report and Summary 1.1. This report is intended to update the Planning Committee on the approaches to coordinate key projects along our cities major rivers to ensure they are enjoyed as an asset by residents, businesses and visitors. 1.2. Work has been undertaken to understand the flood risk management needs across the city and a range of projects are being developed through the City Plan process. It is vital a coordinated approach to these priorities is realised and where possible look for opportunities to deliver wider benefits through their realisation. 1.3. Masterplanning approaches have been developed in other cities – Derby and Darlington for example, both are in their early stages but show how significant flood risk management works can be combined with large scale regeneration. However, although more than £100M investment is needed to ensure flood defences on the Rivers Hull and Humber are resilient to current and future flood risks the works mainly entail rebuild, renovation or limited improvements in many parts of the city and existing defences already provide a high standard of protection in most cases. This limits the possibility of large scale capital works to manage flood risk and enhance and regenerate areas, this is especially exacerbated by the fact that the majority of required works are outside of the main areas of regeneration in the city. 1.4. Flood risk Management works in the lower River Hull and the River Humber confluence in the next 5 years will support and enable key city centre, Old Town, Fruit Market, cultural, heritage and tourism goals to be realised, work will be carried out to ensure strong links are made to regeneration projects and the City Plan. Author: Status: Date: 09/09/2013 Page 1 of 34 2. Recommendations Committee agree: 2.1. that Option 2 in 5.1 is progressed, this will ensure linkages between the City Plan and flood risk management projects deliver wide benefits, in turn ensuring value for money is achieved. 2.2. The masterplan guidance document findings at appendix 2 should be used to identify a strong cohesive linkage between all projects in the lower River Hull area. This is a non-key decision. Author: Status: Date: 09/09/2013 Page 2 of 34 3. Background 3.1. Flood risk from the cities Main Rivers is clearly understood from the Environment Agency’s River Hull and Humber Flood Risk Management Strategies. The City is currently protected by a range of flood defences, wharfages, riverside structures and key assets such as the Hull Tidal Surge Barrier. 3.2. Both strategies have shown a high standard of protection is provided by the current defences but significant work is required to ‘sustain’ this standard of protection especially with regard to rising sea levels and climatic change. More than £150M will need to be invested over the next 20 years or more. 3.3. Strong investment cases can be made to attract funding to deliver flood risk management works but specific Defra funding rules reduce the potential to deliver wider benefits through this work. 3.4. Work to sustain high levels of flood protection is essential to allow the city to grow and prosper, but the delivery of this work needs to recognise the importance of the cities rivers and it is considered an enhanced waterfront is key to enable regeneration, support well being and improve our cultural offer. Planning Committee and the Energy and Infrastructure Overview and Scrutiny Commission (in its former guise as the Environment and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Commission) have both shown a desire to develop a masterplan led approach to develop flood risk and regenerative projects on our rivers. 3.5. Links have been made with the Derby masterplanning approach and officers from the council and the Environment Agency have visited the city to understand this approach. Further work has been undertaken by the Environment Agency to develop individual projects and their programme of delivery. A development brief guidance document has been prepared for the lower river by the council. 4. Issues for Consideration 4.1. Initial work undertaken to categorise the river and to identify issues was undertaken earlier in the year, this was presented to the Environment and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Commission on the 5th February 2013. The paper can be found at Appendix 1. A boat trip on the River Hull was undertaken on the 8th May 2013 which allowed members an opportunity to observe the river in detail and hear directly from the Environment Agency. 4.2. The masterplan led approach was only shown to be potentially effective for the lower River Hull where regeneration and planning activity is greatest, the industrial middle and greener upper river present fewer opportunities for such an approach. An assessment of navigation and access along the river corridor showed good potential to enhance public rights of way and access but the decline in navigation activity does not immediately support this as a priority for a masterplan led approach. Author: Status: Date: 09/09/2013 Page 3 of 34 4.3. The Environment Agency have further developed their appraisal studies for flood alleviation works on the Rivers Hull and Humber, the council sits on both project boards and are working with the Agency to develop the schemes further. Works will be required to maintain, improve and in some cases replace existing defences and other waterfront structures to ensure they will provide a 1 in 200 year standard of protection, all will be built to withstand rising sea levels and climate change impacts. Works will be prioritised and delivered in phased 5 year programmes and could take more than 20 years to be completed. 4.4. Works in the first 5 year programme are likely to be limited in the masterplan focus area, the existing standard of protection of defences is high and there are relatively few issues with structural stability, in comparison, significant reaches of defences and structures will require works in this period on the middle part of the river and to a lesser extent on the River Humber frontage. This clearly limits the way in which capital investment to deliver flood alleviation works can be used to deliver wider benefits. 4.5. Significant works are likely to be required on the west bank downstream of Myton Bridge and North Bridge and on the east bank adjacent to Tower Street, options are being considered and costed within the appraisal studies, options to enhance access, permeability, heritage, biodiversity and regenerative activity have been included and these options will be considered further. Examples could be the ‘setting back’ of the defence line from the waterfront to enhance or extend access routes. 4.6. A masterplan guidance document has been prepared to showcase the existing heritage and urban design environment and to signpost possible ways to enhance the area of the lower River Hull, this can be seen in Appendix 2. This will be used to align and coordinate any projects that arise from the flood risk management works and their linkages with wider City Plan projects. 4.7. The masterplan shows the potential for enhancing the heritage of the lower river through access and inclusion, under used assets such as the west bank dry docks could potentially be brought into usage for commercial or tourism usages. Flood risk management works will be considered in line with the guidance document. 4.8. The lower river Hull is key to the regeneration of the Fruit Market, Old Town and the City Centre, key projects within the City Plan seek to deliver a range of improvements in all these areas and strong links to enhance, support and influence these projects need to be set up. 4.9. City Plan projects such as the Cruise Terminal and HMS Illustrious are intrinsically linked to waterfront and flood risk management assets but wider considerations of permeability and access can be facilitated by carefully delivered flood risk management work. 4.10. Projects such as the High Street Revamp and the River Hull Inlet concerning heritage trails, opening up the river and waterfront and linkages on both banks of the river can clearly be enhanced by flood risk management works. The potential Author: Status: Date: 09/09/2013 Page 4 of 34 for an enhanced crossing on the A63 leading to the marina, Fruit Market, Cruise Terminal and onward links to the Millennium Footbridge, The Deep and along the west side of the river could be enhanced through reopening access along the east bank to the new footbridge and beyond. 4.11. Good access along the east bank north of Drypool Bridge to North Bridge could be linked to the west bank and a return route southwards or into the Queens Gardens area which is indicated as a priority in City Plan. Access adjacent to the dry docks is not clear, the heritage potential of the docks is undervalued and there are potential commercial usages for the docks, flood risk management works in this area could facilitate or support such improvements. 5. Options and Risk Assessment 5.1. The distribution of limited Environment Agency interventions in the masterplan area of the lower River Hull reduces the opportunity to deliver a masterplan supported by significant flood risk management investment. Work is continuing with the Environment Agency to identify wider benefits and linkages are being made with City Plan projects steered by the masterplan guidance document at appendix 2. Planning Committee are asked to consider three options: Option 1 Continue with a full masterplan approach in the lower River Hull with strong linkages to other masterplan approaches – i.e.

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