Flood Defence (Pages 11 - 22)

MINUTES of the meeting of the HUNTINGDONSHIRE FLOOD FORUM held at on Wednesday, 12 November 2003

PRESENT: District Councillor I C Bates - Chairman

Mr N Woonton - Environment Agency Mr D Gregory - Cambridgeshire County Council Civil Protection Unit Mr S Admans - Cambridgeshire County Council Highways Division Mr I Bowmaker - Anglian Water Chief Inspector D Alderson Cambridgeshire Constabulary Mr R Preston - Huntingdonshire District Council Mr C Allen - Huntingdonshire District Council

Huntingdonshire District Councillors Mrs J Chandler, P J Downes, R Powell, L M Simpson, P A Swales and Mrs S J Vanbergen

APOLOGIES: Mrs J Chandler, P J Downes, D Harty, R Powell, T V Rogers, L M Simpson, P A Swales and Mrs S J Vanbergen

IN ATTENDANCE: S Admans, C Allen, I Bowmaker, D Gregory, R Preston and N Woonton

Representatives from the following Parish, Town and District Councils and other interested organisations were in attendance at the Forum:-

Water Newton, Hail Weston, Hemingford Grey, Eynesbury Hardwick, Abbots Ripton, Warboys, Pidley, Tilbrook, Holywell cum Needingworth, Ellington, Fenstatnton, Huntingdon, Godmanchester, ST Ives, St Neots, Ramsey, Earith, Little Paxton, CALC, Spartan Rescue, Cambridgeshire County Council, Environment Agency, LDDC and ANS.

APOLOGIES Apologies were received from the following parish/town councils and associated bodies.

Bluntisham, Chesterton, Kings Ripton, Stow Longa, Bythorn, Great Paxton, Spaldwick, Hilton and the Association of Drainage Authorities.

1. INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME BY COUNCILLOR BATES

Councillor I C Bates welcomed representatives to the first meeting of the Huntingdonshire Flood Forum and remarked that the notes of the meeting would be circulated to all town and parish councils.

2. AIMS OF FLOOD FORUM (Pages 1 - 10)

R Preston, Head of Environment and Transport at the District Council reported on the background to the recommendation from the District Council’s Flooding Working Group which had led to the Flood Forum being convened. Following a brief presentation on the areas of flooding in the District and those authorities with responsibilities in event of a flood, (a copy of which is appended to the Minutes), R Preston detailed the proposed format of the meeting and the future aims of the Flooding Forum.

3. PRESENTATION BY THE AGENCIES

(a) Environment Agency - Nigel Woonton, Area Flood Defence (Pages 11 - 22)

The Forum were acquainted with a presentation by the Environment Agency outlining the activities and responsibilities of the Agency before, during and after a flood, (a copy of which is appended in to the Minutes). Amongst the number of points made the Forum were acquainted with a change in the role of the Agency from a “flood defence role” to a “flood risk management role”. The Forum were also reminded that the Environment Agency had only permissive powers to carry out flood risk maintenance.

(b) Cambridgeshire County Council - Civil Protection Unit (Pages 23 - 44)

Having been acquainted with the role of the Civil Protection Unit’s role in respect of flooding and its wider remit, the Forum received a presentation highlighting the action they would take in the event of a flooding incident and their priority concerns (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book).

The Forum received a presentation by the Highways Division (a copy of which is appended to the Minutes at Annex D) giving a brief overview of the role of the Highways Division and their routine maintenance of highways drains and gulleys. It was also understood by the Forum that the Highways Division rigidly adhered to flood warnings from the Environment Agency and would not raise road closures until a flood warning had been withdrawn.

(d) Anglian Water (Pages 53 - 60)

By way of a presentation by I Bowmaker, (a copy of which is appended to the Minutes), the Forum were informed that Anglian Water did not own local dykes and rivers and did not have the automatic right to discharge water into them. It was noted that many drains in the District remained unadopted or in private ownership and in many cases were not properly maintained. During his presentation, Mr I Bowmaker explained the concept of the asset management process whereby particular projects were given a priority score for funding by OFWAT,

(e) Huntingdonshire District Council (Pages 61 - 72)

The Forum were acquainted by way of a presentation (a copy of which is appended to the Minutes) with the land drainage responsibilities of the District Council and the processes in place to prepare for flooding incidents. The Forum were also introduced to the District Council’s sandbag policy and the ways in which the District Council was looking to the future of flood risk management.

(f) Cambridgeshire Police

By way of a brief presentation, Chief Inspector Alderson reported to the Forum the ways in which the Police responded to flooding incidences and how they were able to pre-plan for such an event. A particular priority of the Police is to identify both vulnerable residents and properties prior to an incident to aid the overall evaluation of a situation and ultimately save lives. The Police are also responsible for the safe passage of emergency vehicles into an incident area and act as a mediator for agencies present at an incident. Chief Inspector D Alderson reported that the Police Force had been specially trained for flooding incidents by a company called ‘Spartan Rescue’ who were represented at the Forum.

4. PARISH COUNCILS (Pages 73 - 74)

Parish Councils were invited to ask questions of the representatives present, written responses to which had already been sent to the parishes by the relevant agencies. The questions raised are reproduced in an appendix to these Minutes.

5. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

The Chairman informed the meeting that the notes of the forum would be disseminated through parish clerks along with the arrangements for future meetings.

6. FORUM

The Forum agreed that their next meeting should be held in March 2004 and thereon on an annual basis. It was also suggested that queries from parish clerks should be directed to the appropriate agency throughout the year and not be delayed until the next meeting of the Forum. Following a suggestion, R Preston agreed to investigate the possibility of an online Forum in conjunction with the Huntingdonshire District Council website.

It has been subsequently agreed that the next Forum will be held on Thursday 25th March 2004 at 6.00pm in Pathfinder House.

Huntingdonshire

1 Flood Forum

A brief background Minute Item2 An Area Shaped by Water • North ~ the River Nene – The district’s northern boundary • South ~ the Ouse Valley

2 – Major Settlements at river crossings • East ~The Fens – Former wetlands • West ~ Clay uplands – Rapid run-off Flooding – never far away

• April 1998

• October 2000 3 • October 2001

• January 2003

• Impact of climate change? Where does it come from?

• Flooding can be from — – Major rivers – Other natural watercourses

4 – Man-made watercourses – Highway drains – Public sewers – Private drains and sewers – ‘village drains’ Who might be responsible?

• Riparian land owner • Highway Authority • Water Company 5 • District Council • Environment Agency • householders The District Council’s Response

• Overview & Scrutiny Panel took evidence from various agencies in 2002 • Established a Member Working Party in 6 Sept 2002 which reported in Feb 2003 • Cabinet accepted the Working Party’s recommendations on 27 February 2003 What do you need?

• Who to contact • Someone to take ownership of the problem on your behalf 7 • Clear lines of communication • Identification of responsibility • A clear way forward • The problem resolved A Way Forward

• Recommendation from the Working Party

“A multi-agency drainage forum be 8 established by the council to meet annually to encourage the resolution of local land drainage and flooding problems” What should the Forum deliver!

• Explain significant legislative, policy or programme changes • Provide case studies which demonstrate good

9 practice • Develop support for community based flood warning/flood protection self-help groups • Give preliminary assessment of issues submitted for consideration by local councils Conclusion

• The threat of flooding is never far away • Responsibilities are not always immediately clear 10 • The legislation is complex • The responsible organisations are keen to work together to resolve problems • The Forum provides a focus for that joint work and the sharing of information Minute Item 3a

11 12

Nigel Woonton Area Flood Defence Manager(Central)

2 FLOOD DEFENCE

ACTIVITIES

• FLOOD WARNING

13 • REGULATION/SUPERVISORY ROLE • OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ON ‘MAIN RIVER’ • IMPROVEMENTS • FLOOD RISK ADVICE TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE PUBLIC

3 CURRENT CHANGES

• MOVE FROM FLOOD DEFENCE TO FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT

14 • ENMAINMENT OF CRITICAL ORDINARY WATERCOURSES • FUNDING REVIEW (BLOCK GRANT) • SINGLE TIER FLOOD DEFENCE COMMITTEES • CATCHMENT FLOOD MANAGEMENT PLANS

4 Improvements Scheme Justification & Prioritisation • 2 bodies who influence the process – Defra – Great Ouse LFDC

15 • Defra define the process • GOLFDC raise the money • 4 stages of the process – Standard of Protection – Pre Feasibility – Feasibility – Construction 5 Improvements Scheme Justification & Prioritisation • Standard of Protection (SoP) – determined by historical knowledge and hydraulic modelling

16 – areas selected by experienced Agency staff – SoP expressed as percentage or as a return period (1 in 100yr) – if the SoP is less than the Defra indicative SoP the study progresses next to stage

6 Improvements Scheme Justification & Prioritisation • Pre Feasibility Stage – short stage – looks at economics of providing flood defence

17 scheme – identifies if the benefits exist to justify progressing to next stage – if no scheme is justifiable the area is targeted for Flood Warning Improvements

7 Improvements Scheme Justification & Prioritisation • Feasibility Stage – process determines the most cost effective flood defence scheme – any scheme considered needs to satisfy following criteria 18 • economic • technical • environmental – end of study provides • cost benefit ratio • priority score

8 Improvements Scheme Justification & Prioritisation • Construction Stage – only proceeds if feasibility stage approved (by Defra) & funding allocated by (GOLFDC) • Priority is determined on bases of 19 – cost benefit – number of properties protected – risk of flooding to people & environment • priority score enables us to assess a number of communities across the region and put approved schemes into 10 year programme

9 Current Programme May 2003

03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 Alconbury & Alconbury Weston FAS Godmanchester FAS Flood Warning Telemetry Improvements Swantel Arts 2c Godmanchester Mill Weir Refurbishment St Ives Staunch Renovation

20 St Ives (South) & Hemingfords Spaldwick to Ellington FAS Bedford to Eaton Socon SoP Brampton Brook SoP St Neots Pre Feasibility Parsons Drove Drain Offord SoP Offord Sluice Refurbishament Garkies Mill Sluice Refurbishment St Neots Paper Mill Slucie Refurbishment Godmanchester Main Sluice Refurbishment

Note: Order of SoP studies may alter as Critical Ordinary Watercourses have not been include in the programme

1 0 Programme assuming Block Grant & New Priority Scores

03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 Alconbury & Alconbury Weston FAS Godmanchester FAS Inc Mill Sluice refurbishment Flood Warning Telemetry Improvements Swantel Arts 2c

21 Godmanchester Mill Weir Refurbishment St Ives Staunch Renovation St Ives (South) & Hemingfords Spaldwick to Ellington FAS Bedford to Eaton Socon SoP Brampton Brook SoP St Neots Pre Feasibility Parsons Drove Drain Offord SoP Offord Sluice Refurbishament Garkies Mill Sluice Refurbishment St Neots Paper Mill Slucie Refurbishment Godmanchester Main Sluice Refurbishment Note: Order of SoP studies may alter as Critical Ordinary Watercourses have not been include in the programme 1 1 This page is intentionally left blank

22 CambridgeshireCambridgeshire CountyCounty CouncilCouncil CivilCivil ProtectionProtection UnitUnit 23 Minute Item3b THETHE EMERGENCYEMERGENCY CENTRECENTRE • Nuclear Bunker built in 1978 • Own generator, water & fuel for 30 days 24 • ECN Telephone switch • Helpline facility • Radiation monitoring system • Limited stores • A Resilient Facility 25 ROLEROLE OFOF THETHE CIVILCIVIL PROTECTIONPROTECTION UNITUNIT

• Provide strategic overview to the County Chief Executive 26 • Provide advice on emergency plans • Training and exercises (Sept 2002) • Activation of County Emergency Centre • Manage County intelligence function • Support District Chief Executives OTHEROTHER ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES TYPICALLYTYPICALLY INCLUDEINCLUDE • Taking part in Joint Agency Meetings • Developing a Mass Casualty Plan 27 • Identifying Temporary Mortuary facilities • Writing Plans: Fuel, Pipeline, COMAH etc. • Business Continuity Advice • Working on Evacuation Plans PROVIDINGPROVIDING THETHE LINKSLINKS

• Our main role on an ongoing basis is to build and maintain links with: 28 • District Council’s • Environment Agency (Flooding) • Any other Group, Individual or Organisation that could be of some assistance. Civil Protection Unit Contact Organisations

East Anglian Maritime & Police Fire Service Ministry of Defence Ambulance Trust Coastguard Agency Cambridgeshire Transport Health Authority Railtrack, airports etc

Utilities Civil Protection Home Office & DETR Unit Industry HSE 29 Environment Agency, Local Authorities MAFF& FSA Peterborough City Council NHS Entertainment Huntingdonshire District Executive Venues Voluntary Groups Council (WRVS Fenland District Council St John Ambulance South Cambs District Cambs County Council Raynet Council (Chief Executives Dept British Red Cross East Cambs District EL&H Soc Serv CAB Council E&T Resources) Salvation Army etc) Cambridge City Council Parish/Town Councils Neighbouring Counties WORKINGWORKING WITHWITH THETHE STRATEGICSTRATEGIC GROUPSGROUPS

• County Strategic Emergency Forum 30

• Joint Emergency Services Liaison and Planning Committee (JESLP)

• Regional Resilience Forum ATAT ALLALL TIMESTIMES WEWE WANTWANT TO:TO:

Ensure that the most effective 31 arrangements are in place to protect the citizens of Cambridgeshire and their property, in the event of a serious emergency incident. WHATWHAT ISIS AA DISASTER?DISASTER?

“…any event - happening with or without warning - causing or threatening death or injury, damage

32 to property or to the environment or disruption to the community, which because of the scale of its effects cannot be dealt with by the emergency services and local authorities as part of their day- to-day activities…” In recent years.. Flooding has become one of our most serious concerns 33 TYPICALTYPICAL ROLESROLES ININ ANAN INCIDENTINCIDENT •Communications

34 •Manpower •Rest Centres •Technical advice •Supplies WEWE AREARE ALERTEDALERTED && ACTIVATEDACTIVATED BY..BY.. • Receive Flood Fax from Environment Agency • District Councils and Civil Protection Unit 35 alerted by pager • Activation of District Emergency Management Team • Civil Protection Unit ensures activation (Duty Officer system) 36 ININ THETHE EVENTEVENT OFOF AA SEVERESEVERE FLOODFLOOD WARNINGWARNING WEWE WOULDWOULD • Establish Liaison with the Environment Agency Area Incident room 37 • Establish liaison with Police Incident Officer • Brief Senior Chief Officer to determine action PRIMARYPRIMARY CONCERNSCONCERNS

• Activate the CCC Flood Plan • Offer close Support to the Emergency Services

38 • Offer Care & Welfare to those affected, including the operation of emergency rest centres. • Aid in the restoration of normal conditions • Assist with the signing of road closures and diversions • Assist in measures to reduce the effects 39 of flooding on property • In close collaboration with the Cambridgeshire Health Authority, monitor the health implications for those affected by flooding FORFOR ALLALL THINGSTHINGS WEWE TRYTRY TO:TO: • Prepare for the unexpected • Plan for the Risks 40 • Exercise with our partners & • Help where we can when the worst happens AndAnd finally…finally…

ToTo usus nono disasterdisaster isis aa laughinglaughing 41 matter.matter. However…However… JustJust toto proveprove thatthat wewe allall livelive inin aa crazycrazy world.world. 42 Attention Attention

Thank You For Your Thank You For Your

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44 Huntingdonshire Flood Forum 12 November 2003

The role of Cambridgeshire County Council 45 Highways Divisions in dealing with Flooding

Stuart Admans Minute Item3c C. Eng. Network Manager Fenland & Huntingdonshire Organisation: 4 Divisional Offices •Whittlesford • Witchford • Huntingdon •March 46 Agency Arrangements for Highway maintenance • Cambridge City • Huntingdonshire Market Towns

Contractor for term maintenance work • Ringway Highway Services Duties of the County Council as Highway Authority

• To keep the roads free of flooding • To make provision for run off from 47 highways in a proper manner • To maintain highway drains • To maintain culverts in our ownership Roadside Ditches

•Ownership •Case Law 48 •Piping of ditches • Piped ditch crossings • Discretionary Powers Routine Maintenance

• Definition of Highway Drains

49 • Gully Emptying • Pressure Jetting • Discharge of water onto the Highway • New Code of Practice for Maintenance Management • Pro-active Maintenance • Survey & recording of problem areas Responding to Localised Emergencies

• Duty Officers

50 •E A Flood Warnings • Signing Road and Ford Closures • Signing of Diversionary Routes Major and Widespread Flooding

• Response coordinated through

51 Emergency Planning Questions? 52 53 Huntingdonshire District Council – Flood Forum th 12 November 2003 Minute Item3d 54 Anglian Water Services

Responsibilities, Ownership and Investment Plans Our Responsibilities

• Water and Sewerage Undertaker • Water Supplies meet standards based upon WHO guidelines and regulated by the DWI. • Discharges to the environment regulated by the Environment Agency

55 with standards based upon River Water Quality standards defined by them. • Responsibilities and Powers related to Surface Water are limited to roof water, patios and driveways. • By agreement we will take Highways Drainage (where capacity exists) • No land drainage powers • No ownership or responsibilities for land drainage ditches, dykes, streams or rivers. • No automatic right to discharge (has to be consented and agreed)

3 Our Assets

• We are the biggest in area of all the water companies which means that; • We own approximately 35000 kilometres of sewer in this region, • We own approximately 4500 wastewater and surface water pumping stations (by far the largest percentage of PS across England and Wales) • We own over 1000 STWs 56 • However this does not mean we own all sewers, PS or STW that exist in this region – only those that are ‘vested’ in us. • All our customers own and are responsible for their own lateral pipe and some own and are responsible for their own discharges. Also land drainage authorities have many of their own assets. • Generally our assets are underground pipes and as stated before take foul flows in some form. • We take on assets through a legal process. These assets must be in good condition.

4 Business Plan 2000-2005

• AW investment programme is regulated by OFWAT • OFWAT put very limited funding to flooding work within this period. (£1m to resolve 20 problem properties in one location)

57 • We have carried out work over and above what we were allowed within this period in approximately 20 locations to date. • We have also sought additional funding to carry out substantial work in a further 10 locations • Total cost approximately£15m • Five schemes of various sizes delivered • One scheme about to go on site • Five schemes of various sizes being developed for delivery by end 2005 (Picture is Market Harborough)

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6 Managing Expectations? • We also need funds to do more sewer maintenance, to cater for growth and to collect evidence and data on external flooding across the region in readiness for further 59 submissions in future Business Plans. • However, to put this into context - Soil Moisture Deficit Map of the UK in the winter 2000/2001 – whole region is over 100% - cannot resolve flooding completely.

7 60 Thankyou

If you need further information – do not hesitate to get in touch. 61 FLOOD FORUM TH

12 NOVEMBER 2003 Minute Item3e HUNTINGDONSHIRE DC FLOOD EMERGENCY ACTIONS

• What are our land drainage responsibilities

62 • How we prepare for flooding • How do we set up our control centre • What are our main responsibilities • How do we help people in the floods • What is our sandbag policy What are our land drainage responsibilities

• Main River is EA responsibility • Internal Drainage Boards are responsible 63 for their areas (mainly the low lying areas) • Permissive powers to enforce watercourse maintenance • Maintenance of own Awarded Watercourses. How we prepare for flooding

• Train emergency planning staff 64 • Liaise with other Agencies • Monitor weather forecast • Flood Warnings from the EA. How do we set up our control centre

• Expected period of incident

65 • Will 24 hour cover be needed • Arrange staff to be released from day job • Set up control room • Open phone lines • Notify other Agencies What are our main responsibilities

• Looking after homeless people

66 • Giving environmental health advice How do we help people in the floods

• Information to the public • Monitoring of the situation – CCTV, personnel on

67 site. • Delivery of sandbags • Possible use of pumps or toilets • Rest Centres and Temporary Accommodation • Advice to home owners What is our sandbag policy

• HDC personnel are not to enter water • Householders are responsible for the protection of their properties. 68 • Sandbags are provided prior to events to villages with fast flood rates. Spare stores set up. • Skips of sandbags will be taken to flood locations as soon as possible What is our sandbag policy – contd

• Due to limited personnel, bags cannot be delivered to individual properties. • Businesses properties are not served 69 • Householders are responsible for the disposal of sandbags after the event The Future

• Householders have to take responsibility for protection of their houses • Sandbags may not be delivered to repeat 70 flood locations • Greater use of Floodline and warnings. 71 FLOOD FORUM This page is intentionally left blank

72 Minute Item 4

HUNTINGDONSHIRE FLOOD FORUM

QUESTIONS RECEIVED

ABBOTS RIPTON PC

Why continue to build in the flood plain. EA

COLNE PC

They are concerned at the change in flooding events and the increased severity of them and write to ask if the comment we recently heard from a third party is that the Environment Agency is not dredging the main river, like the Great Ouse Board did in the past, due to environmental reasons. EA

EARITH PC

Why is there no remedial work planned for the Earith Causeway on the A1123 CCC

FENSTANTON PC

What action has been taken to protect Fenstanton from flooding? EA

Specifically, when will Green Hall Brook be cleared? EA

GODMANCHESTER TC They would be interested to hear about the details and timings to refurbish the Godmanchester Mill Yard Sluice. EA

What policy exists for the building up of local roads that are subject to annual flooding. CCC

HEMINGFORD GREY PC

That Council has been told by the Agency that emergency work to raise the bank in low areas and repair gaps in defences would be carried out before the coming winter. Please confirm start date. EA

HOLYWELL-CUM-NEDINGWORTH PC

The erosion of the floodbank near the Pike and Eel Inn, Overcote Lane caused problems last year. What is current status of works? EA

HUNTINGDON TC

What are you doing to stop the flooding of the Town Park? HDC/IDB

What are you doing to stop the flooding of Riverside Park? HDC/EA

What do you propose for the land at Wertheim Way which constantly floods. The TC would like to build a closed in play area here. HDC/IDB

LITTLE PAXTON PC

Lakefield Ave – after the bad flooding of last January, when will the foul drain be re-routed from the surface water pipe? HDC/CCC

No public communication has yet been distributed about the events of January 2003 and any subsequent activities by the utilities and HDC/ agencies. An update on progress would be appreciated by the residents. CCC

RAMSEY TC

Slade Dyke – There is great concern by residents in Ramsey about the further deterioration of Slade Dyke. If there is a lot of rain this winter, it will overflow causing flooding to houses in the vicinity. HDC

TILBROOK PC

What action is to be taken to overcome sever flooding of the B645 through Tilbrook frequently, causing police presence, diverted traffic, etc. What body is responsible for remedial action? What action do they propose? What date should be targeted for completion of the work? HDC/CCC

YAXLEY PC

What can be done about the flooding of Main Street near Nos. 1/ 3? AW