South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan Summary Report June 2012 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 Manley House Kestrel Way Exeter EX2 7LQ Tel: 0870 8506506 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. June 2012 Introduction I am pleased to introduce our summary of the South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP). This CFMP gives an overview of the flood risk in the South Devon catchment and sets out our preferred plan for sustainable flood risk management over the next 50 to 100 years. The South Devon CFMP is one of 77 CFMPs for England There are many sources of flood risk within the South and Wales. Through the CFMPs, we have assessed Devon catchment. The main risk of flooding is from inland flood risk across all of England and Wales for the rivers and is largely due to insufficient channel capacity first time. The CFMP considers all types of inland and problems associated with culverts. Risks to people, flooding, from rivers, ground water, surface water and property and infrastructure are concentrated mainly in tidal flooding, but not flooding directly from the sea Newton Abbot, Kingsteignton, Bovey Tracey, (coastal flooding), which is covered by Shoreline Buckfastleigh, Ashburton, Totnes, Ivybridge and Torbay. Management Plans (SMPs). Our coverage of surface Surface water flooding is also a significant source of and ground water is however limited due to a lack of flood risk. There was widespread flooding across South available information. Devon in 1979 and 2000. The role of CFMPs is to establish flood risk management We cannot reduce flood risk on our own, we will policies which will deliver sustainable flood risk therefore work closely with all our partners to improve management for the long term. This is essential if we the co-ordination of flood risk activities and agree the are to make the right investment decisions for the most effective way to manage flood risk in the future. future and to help prepare ourselves effectively for the We have worked with others including: Devon County impact of climate change. We will use CFMPs to help us Council, Natural England, South West Water and the target our limited resources where the risks are National Farmers Union to develop this plan. greatest. This is a summary of the main CFMP document, if you This CFMP identifies flood risk management policies to need to see the full document an electronic version can assist all key decision makers in the catchment. It was be obtained by emailing produced through a wide consultation and appraisal [email protected] process, however it is only the first step towards an or alternatively paper copies can be viewed at any of integrated approach to Flood Risk Management. As we our offices in South West Region. all work together to achieve our objectives, we must monitor and listen to each others progress, discuss what has been achieved and consider where we may need to review parts of the CFMP. Richard Cresswell South West Regional Director Environment Agency South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan 1 Contents The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk 3 Catchment overview 4 Current and future flood risk 6 Future direction for flood risk management 10 Sub-areas 1 Dartmoor sub-area 12 2 Avon Estuary sub-area 14 3 Torbay sub-area 16 4 Newton Abbot and Totnes sub-area 18 5 Dart, Teign and Kingsbridge Estuaries sub-area 20 6 Bovey Tracey and Ashburton sub-area 22 7 Buckfastleigh sub-area 24 8 Lower Erme sub-area 25 9 Rural Mid-Lower Teign, Dart and Avon sub-area 26 Map of CFMP policies 28 2 Environment Agency South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk CFMPs help us to understand the • Internal Drainage Boards (IDB), CFMPs aim to promote more scale and extent of flooding now and water companies and other sustainable approaches to in the future, and set policies for utilities to help plan their managing flood risk. The policies managing flood risk within the activities in the wider context of identified in the CFMP will be catchment. CFMPs should be used to the catchment; delivered through a combination of inform planning and decision different approaches. Together with • transportation planners; making by key stakeholders such as: our partners, we will implement • land owners, farmers and land these approaches through a range • the Environment Agency, who will managers that manage and of delivery plans, projects and use the plan to guide decisions operate land for agriculture, actions. on investment in further plans, conservation and amenity projects or actions; The relationship between the CFMP, purposes; delivery plans, strategies, projects • Regional Assemblies and local • the public and businesses to and actions is shown in Figure 1. authorities who can use the plan enhance their understanding of to inform spatial planning flood risk and how it will be activities and emergency managed. 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 and • Make sure our spending delivers the best restore floodplains. possible outcomes. • Prepare for and manage floods (including local • Focus on risk based targets, for example numbers Flood Warning plans). 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 identify the • Surface water management plans. need and encourage their development. Environment Agency South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan 3 Catchment overview The South Devon CFMP covers the upland areas to less than 1,000mm There is a varied landscape across catchments of the Rivers Teign, Dart, (39in) on the coast. The England and the area, including the uplands of Erme and Avon, which flow east and Wales average is 920mm (36in). Dartmoor National Park and south from Dartmoor into the extensive estuaries to the south. Geology is divided between estuaries and sea. It also includes Much of the countryside is Dartmoor’s impermeable granite to several small watercourses draining recognised for its environmental and the north and the mainly Devonian the Torbay area. The area is cultural value including an Area of and Carboniferous deposits to the environmentally rich, containing Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) south. Impermeable rocks respond several important environmental and 470 Scheduled Monuments. faster to rainfall and generate higher sites and a very high quality river There are many other ecologically, flood peaks than more permeable system. socially and historically important rocks. Water levels in the largely sites in the catchment and a network The South Devon CFMP covers an impermeable upper catchment rise of good quality river courses, with areas of some 1,500 square fairly rapidly after rainfall. They reach four Special Areas of Conservation kilometres (580 square miles). their peak in a relatively short time – (SAC) and 74 Sites of Special typically less than 12 hours – and fall The main physical characteristics of Scientific Interest (SSSI). quickly after the rain has stopped. the catchments are steeply sloping Less severe gradients in the lower Urban development (about 7% of the watercourses rising in the Dartmoor catchment mean that rivers there catchment) is mainly concentrated in National Park, that then flow into reach their flood peak in typically 12 the lower reaches of the River Teign wider, more permeable valleys in the to 24 hours. (at Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton) lower reaches. Annual rainfall ranges and in the Torbay area. Around 90% from more than 2,300mm (90in) in of the catchment is agricultural. Water levels in the largely impermeable upper catchment rise fairly rapidly after rainfall. 4 Environment Agency South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan Map 1. Location and extent of the South Devon CFMP area Legend Okehampton Exeter South Devon CFMP Urban areas Main rivers Bovey Tracey Railway Tavistock Dawlish Motorway Ashburton Teignmouth Newton Abbot Torquay Plymouth Brixham N Ivybridge Dartmouth Kingsbridge 0 4 8 12 16 Kilometres © Crown Copyright. Environment Agency 100026380. ➜ A family wade through floods at Teigngrace in November 2000 Photo: Gareth Williams/Express and Echo Environment Agency South Devon Catchment Flood Management Plan 5 Current and future flood risk Overview of the current flood risk What is at risk? There are many sources of flood risk We spend more than £250,000 a Some 8,200 properties are within the South Devon catchment. year on flood risk management in estimated to be at risk from the 1% The main risk of flooding is from South Devon and local authorities annual probability flood, ignoring the rivers and is largely due to carry out further management. A effect of defences. This represents insufficient channel capacity and warning system is in place for most 5% of all property across the area. problems associated with culverts. urban areas, with the exception of Also at risk are Torre Abbey, the four Torbay, although there is sometimes Several SSSIs, SACs, Scheduled conservation areas of Torbay, and less than two hours warning of an Monuments and National Nature the main rail line to Plymouth and impending flood.