Issue 5 October 2004 Catchment Matters The newsletter from the Parrett Catchment Project Inside this issue: Communication matters Lobby group consultations - 2 Welcome to Issue 5 of Catchment Matters from the Parrett Catchment Project (PCP), the quar- where does PCP stand? terly bulletin for members, supporters and everyone who wants to hear about the work under- Parrett sluice news 2 way in the Parrett catchment to reduce flood risk and bring water levels under control. Also, out now is Issue 2 of Catchment Matters: Farming Edition, available from the PCP office or website. 2 PCP welcomes a new partner Flood retention 3 Sharing information between members is a key benefit of partnership working, but it’s something demonstrations update that in practice is not so easily achieved. To assist we are developing the PCP website: www. parrettcatchment.info as an information source, where members can submit and access useful 4 Modelling the catchment information, progress updates, PCP policy responses and technical information. A Presentation Are we communicating ? 4 CD is also available from the PCP office. Updated quarterly this assists partners in explaining the whys and wherefores of the Parrett Catchment Project within your organisations and/or to Flood facts 4 external groups. Rising to our next challenge With the JAF ‘Farming Water’ projects well socio-economic change from the Agri- underway the PCP partnership's attention is environment reforms, it has become clear that now turning towards strategy component no. 4: the restoration of natural wetland ecosystems Creation and enhancement of wetland habitats, is vital for the protection of our environment and with very good reason. and also for the benefit of local livelihoods. Although listed in PCP’s action strategy as a PCP believes the wetland ecosystem must play mid to long-term action, pressures from UK a central role in the social and economic devel- government and Europe, together with global opment of the Parrett catchment. The EU 45% of our SSSI’s on the Somerset climate uncertainty, are requiring an urgent fo- Directives and subsequent UK policy will drive Levels are in ‘favourable condition’. cussing of minds and effort towards the Somer- forward the restoration of wetland ecosystems set Levels and Moors. In short these are: on the Levels and Moors, and integrate the way in which our rivers, wetlands and coastal 1. The socio-economic changes that will ecosystems are managed. inevitably result from the reform of the Agri-environment scheme and other PCP will assess what is required to ensure support mechanisms; thriving ‘wider wetlands’ for the long term. Partners will help to achieve favourable condi- 2. The government target to achieve 95% of tions through the delivery of the PCP action Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI’s) in strategy and the EA’s Parrett Catchment ‘favourable condition’ by 2010 under the Water Management Strategy Action Plan The demographics of agriculture on the Habitats Directive. At present approxi- (PCWMSAP). Levels has changed dramatically over the mately 45% of the SSSI’s in the Parrett last 13 years. As the number of farms catchment are in ‘favourable condition’. On some moors, the lowering of penning levels have decreased the size of those English Nature and the Environment Agency in watercourses during the winter can result in remaining have increased. © FWAG will receive full support from the PCP in low winter levels detrimental to life in those their work to achieve this standard; wetlands. Such areas have been identified, prioritised and solutions agreed, ready for 3. The need for inland and coastal waters to implementation. be managed on a river basin scale and to reach ‘good status’ by 2015 under the EU Through the PCWMSAP, partners have com- Water Framework Directive. A number of mitted themselves to meet the requirements of sub-catchments in the Parrett catchment the national, regional and local Biodiversity are ‘at risk’ of failing WFD objectives. Action Plan through the development of a wise use concept in the wider wetland landscape of As we face the pressures of global climate the catchment, and the instigation of specific change with the increased risk of flooding, and management actions. Page 2 Catchment Matters Lobby group consultations Many of the PCP’s ideas The PCP Lobby Group's mission is to achieve ment-Sensitive Farming Programme: taking for- national and regional policies that will further ward the Strategic review of diffuse water pollu- can be carried out on the delivery of PCP's components by respond- tion from agriculture.) DEFRA invited views on the ground using ing to formal consultations as well as taking the approach and possible measures to improve existing policies and every opportunity to raise the issues in national water quality through catchment-sensitive farm- resources, but there are and regional fora. ing. policies that need to be On the lobby group's agenda at the moment Formal Consultation on the draft new EU Rural improved or modified to are three key consultation documents: Development Regulation (deadline Nov 12th). help us deliver our The draft new EU Rural Development Regula- objectives. "Making Space for Water" is the consultation tion was published by the European Commis- on a new Government strategy for flood and sion on 15 July 2004. The Regulation forms the coastal erosion risk management in England for second pillar of the Common Agricultural Pol- the next twenty years (deadline November). icy. PCP needs to ensure that measures to en- The last national Strategy for Flood and Coastal courage farmers to retain water on their land Defence was published in 1993 and now needs are included in the final version of the Environ- revising. The full consultation document is avail- mental Stewardship scheme. able from www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/ waterspace. For a copy of PCP's responses visit the PCP website. If you would like to join the group Developing measures to promote catchment- please contact Humphrey Temperley at: sensitive farming in England (within the Catch- [email protected] Parrett sluice news A tidal sluice at Bridgwater has been an aspira- So far the Environment Agency has committed tion for over a century. Many believe it is now £300,000 to completing the feasibility studies the most sustainable option for the future man- by April 2005 and Somerset County Council, agement of the Parrett, by increasing flood dis- Sedgemoor District Council and Taunton charges, maximising flood storage and reducing Deane Borough Council are committed to rais- the need to pump. It would be a more eco- ing £100,000 to look at the wider economic nomical option than raising 30 km of tidal banks benefits of the sluice. These will provide Wes- as sea levels rise. By reducing the flood risk and sex Regional Flood Defence Committee with Stakeholders visiting Dunball to discuss potential issues of a sluice improving the visual appearance of the town, it the information to decide whether to go ahead could transform the economy of Bridgwater. with the project, and apply for national funding. But, there are a number of serious environ- Meanwhile a local group, the Tidal Sluice Part- mental concerns, and any sluice would have to nership, has been set up to inform the commu- be designed and managed to enhance the nature nity and seek local partnership funding for the conservation interests of the affected moors. scheme. This group brings together the key partners under the chair of Francis Cornish. PCP welcomes new partner The South Somerset Hydropower Group was This is a pilot project for the rest of the coun- formed in 2001 as a group of 10 mill owners try, and already other groups are forming in interested in using historic water mill sites for different areas. When all 10 mill sites are generating electricity. With the aid of grants generating it is hoped to produce over 600,000 from the Energy Saving Trust and South West- kWh per year, enough to power 150 average ern Electricity Board feasibility studies have sized houses. been completed, and the first mill is now gener- ating electricity. The remaining mills are ex- The South Somerset Hydropower Group Gants Mill, Bruton - producing their own electricity. pected to start generating in 2005. supports the Parrett Catchment Project in mak- ing best use of all the water resources within Visit their website Within the PCP area the mills involved are the Parrett catchment area. www.gantsmill.co.uk Court and Nimmer mills on the Isle, Carey’s and Thorney mills on the Parrett, and Hinton For more info. about the South Somerset and Hainbury mills on the Yeo. Hydropower Group contact Stephen Bartlett at [email protected] Issue 5 Page 3 Update on PCP’s flood retention demonstrations With the lengthy and almost imperceptible If you would like to find out more about these phase of negotiations, licences, agreements, demonstration projects e.g. what PCP hopes to tendering and contracts completed on three of achieve through them or the project manage- the ‘Farming Water’ demonstrations we are ment or engineering aspects do contact us. pleased to be able to report that the exciting phase of ground works has now commenced. Dan Alsop the project engineer is also happy to lead site visits and conduct presentations for In this article we are reporting on two of the groups. All the parish councils affected by these schemes that are now underway. schemes have been offered this service. Bower Hinton Scheme The c. £37,000 scheme at Bower Hinton outlet pipe embankment construction Farm, Martock, commenced on 7th Septem- ber 2004. The following 7 days (including 3 days of torrential downpours) saw the contractor (JTT of Exeter), complete scrub clearance and topsoil stripping, dig 60% of the pond, lay the outlet pipe and begin “Farming at Bower Hinton construction of the embankments (see all my life I have often photos 1 & 2).