Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan Summary Report December 2010 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 Rivers House 21 Park Square South Leeds LS1 2QG 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. December 2010 Introduction I am pleased to introduce our summary of the Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP). This CFMP gives an overview of the flood risk in the Hull and Coastal Streams area and sets out our preferred plan for sustainable flood risk management over the next 50 to 100 years. The Hull and Coastal Streams CFMP is one of 77 CFMPs Just over 56,600 properties are at risk from a one per for England and Wales. Through the CFMPs, we have cent flood, if there were no defences in place. Within assessed inland flood risk across all of England and the CFMP area a large proportion of the properties are Wales for the first time. The CFMP considers all types at risk from other sources such as groundwater and of inland flooding, from rivers, ground water, surface surface water flooding and tides. water and tidal flooding, but not flooding directly We cannot reduce flood risk on our own, we will from the sea (coastal flooding), which is covered by therefore work closely with all our partners to improve Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs). Our coverage of the co-ordination of flood risk activities and agree the surface and ground water is however limited due to a most effective way to manage flood risk in the future. lack of available information. We have worked with others including Planning and The role of CFMPs is to establish flood risk management Local Authorities, Internal Drainage Boards, Yorkshire policies which will deliver sustainable flood risk Water, British Waterways, National Farmers Union management for the long term. This is essential if and Natural England to develop this Catchment we are to make the right investment decisions for Flood Management Plan. the future and to help prepare ourselves effectively This is a summary of the main CFMP document, for the impact of climate change. We will use CFMPs if you need to see the full document an electronic to help us target our limited resources where the version can be obtained by emailing NECFMPS@ risks are greatest. environment-agency.gov.uk. Alternatively paper copies This CFMP identifies flood risk management policies to can be viewed at our offices in Willerby, and Rivers assist all key decision makers in the catchment. It was House, Leeds. produced through a wide consultation and appraisal process; however it is only the first step towards an integrated approach to flood risk management. As we all work together to achieve our objectives, we must monitor and listen to each other’s progress, discuss what has been achieved and consider where we may need to review parts of the CFMP. There is a long history of flooding within the Hull and Coastal Streams CFMP area. Flooding has been reported David Dangerfield, from rivers, groundwater, surface water and sewers. Yorkshire and North East Regional Director Environment Agency Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan 1 Contents The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk 3 Sub-area 1 Gypsey Race 12 Catchment overview 4 2 Bridlington 13 Current and future flood risk 6 3 Upper Hull 14 Future direction for flood risk management 10 4 Lower Hull 15 5 Hornsea 16 6 Burstwick 17 7 Holderness 18 8 Market Weighton 19 Summary of key messages for sub-areas 20 The City of Hull 2 Environment Agency Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan The purpose of a CFMP in managing flood risk CFMPs help us to understand the activities in the wider context The following actions and their scale and extent of flooding now of the catchment; implementation will be subject and in the future, and set policies to further appraisal and funding, • Transportation planners; for managing flood risk within the and prioritised by their supporting catchment. CFMPs should be used • Land owners, farmers and land evidence. The CFMP is a living to inform planning and decision managers that manage and use document and actions will be making by key stakeholders such as: land for agriculture, conservation updated as necessary to reflect and amenity purposes; changing responsibilities and • The Environment Agency, who will delivery mechanisms. use the plan to guide decisions • The public and businesses to on investment in further plans, enhance their understanding The relationship between the CFMP, projects or actions; of flood risk and how it will be delivery plans, strategies, projects managed. and actions is shown in Figure 1. The • Local authorities who can use River Hull Flood Risk Management the plan to inform spatial CFMPs promote more sustainable Strategy lies within this CFMP area planning activities and approaches to managing flood and looks in more detail at the emergency planning; risk. The policies identified in the River Hull catchment and proposes CFMP will be delivered through a • IDBs, water companies and options for managing flood risk over combination of different approaches. other utilities to help plan their the next 100 years. 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 • Make sure our spending delivers the best and restore floodplains. possible outcomes. • Prepare for and manage floods • Focus on risk based targets, for example (including local Flood Warning plans). numbers 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 • Surface water management plans. identify their need and encourage their development. Environment Agency Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan 3 Catchment overview The Hull and Coastal Streams CFMP highlighted, by the fact that 89 per is bordered by three other Yorkshire cent of agricultural land is classified and North East Region CFMPs, as between ‘grades’ 2 and 3, very these are the Derwent, Ouse and good to moderate agricultural land. Don CFMPs. The Hull and Coastal The area is covered by the four Local Streams CFMP is also bordered by Authorities of Ryedale DC, Hull the Trent and the Grimsby/Ancholme City Council, Scarborough BC and CFMPs which are managed by the the East Riding of Yorkshire. Urban Environment Agency’s Midland land use occupies about seven per and Anglian Regions (map 1). cent of the CFMP area. Hull and the The CFMP study-area covers Humber Ports are seen as vital for approximately 2,226 square the economy of the region. This will kilometres and includes seven see significant growth within the sub catchments; the Gypsey Race, city, as well as key communities Upper Hull, Barmston Sea Drain, within the East Riding of Yorkshire, Lower Hull, Foulness, Lower Ouse with an annual net provision of and the Coastal Streams sub- residential properties of 1,430. catchment. There are 65 main The CFMP area has a wealth of rivers located within the CFMP environmental and culturally area covering approximately 338 recognised sites. These include kilometres. These rivers include 44 Sites of Special Scientific the River Hull, Foulness, Fleet Interest(SSSI), two Special Areas Drain, Gypsey Race, Holderness of Conservation(SAC), one Ramsar Drain, Beverley and Barmston site and three Special Protection drain. The CFMP area is generally Areas(SPA). There are 449 Scheduled characterised by its low lying Ancient Monuments and nine nature, parts of which are below sea registered Parks and Gardens. level. The highest land is located in the Yorkshire Wolds, which runs in an arc across the north of the area and then south between Hull and Market Weighton. The importance of agricultural land within the Hull & Coastal Streams CFMP is 4 Environment Agency Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan Map 1. The location and extent of the Hull and Coastal Streams CFMP area Environment Agency Hull and Coastal Streams Catchment Flood Management Plan 5 Current and future flood risk Overview of the current flood risk What is at risk? Flood risk has two components: There is a long history of flooding Within the Hull and Coastal Streams the chance (probability) of a within the CFMP area dating back CFMP area there are over 55,600 particular flood and the impact (or as far as 1657. Hull was affected properties at risk from a one per consequence) that the flood would during the tidal floods of 1953 cent annual probability river flood have if it happened. The probability causing flooding to much of the assuming no defences. There are of a flood relates to the likelihood of low lying land on the East Coast of around 237 kilometres of flood a flood of that size occurring within England. Hull was also affected in defences, a number of pumping a one year period and is expressed the 1969 tidal flood, affecting much stations, tidal sluices and barriers as a percentage.