Appendix A - Responsibilities for Flood Risk Management The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has overall responsibility for flood risk management in England. Their aim is to reduce flood risk by: • discouraging inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding. • encouraging adequate and cost effective flood warning systems. • encouraging adequate technically, environmentally and economically sound and sustainable flood defence measures. The Government’s Foresight Programme has recently produced a report called Future Flooding, which warns that the risk of flooding will increase between 2 and 20 times over the next 75 years. The report produced by the Office of Science and Technology has a long-term vision for the future (2030 – 2100), helping to make sure that effective strategies are developed now. Sir David King, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government concluded: “continuing with existing policies is not an option – in virtually every scenario considered (for climate change), the risks grow to unacceptable levels. Secondly, the risk needs to be tackled across a broad front. However, this is unlikely to be sufficient in itself. Hard choices need to be taken – we must either invest in more sustainable approaches to flood and coastal management or learn to live with increasing flooding”. In response to this, Defra is leading the development of a new strategy for flood and coastal erosion for the next 20 years. This programme, called “Making Space for Water” will help define and set the agenda for the Government’s future strategic approach to flood risk. Within this strategy there will be an overall approach to the assessing options through a strong and continuing commitment to CFMPs and SMPs within a broader planning framework which will include River Basin Management Plans prepared under the Water Framework Directive and Integrated Coastal Zone Management. We take the lead role in preparing Catchment Flood Management Plans (CFMPs). We recognise that all key organisations and decision makers must work together to plan and take action to reduce flood risk. We have consulted with other authorities, organisations and groups so that the plan can be adopted as a way forward for flood risk management in the catchment. The development of the CFMP has been supported by a Steering Group with representatives from the following organisations: • Carrick District Council • Cornwall County Council • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs • Environment Agency • Natural England • National Farmers Union • Kerrier District Council • South West Regional Flood Defence Committee • Restormel Borough Council • South West Water • Penwith District Council Our Role in Flood Risk Management Since it was set up in 1996, The Environment Agency has taken a lead role in flood risk management within England and Wales. We provide information via our internet flood maps on the chance of flooding. The map shows areas that would be affected by flooding from the rivers or the sea without defences. The flood extent shown on the Flood Map refers to Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3 as defined in Planning Policy Statement 25; Development and Flood Risk (PPS25). A Flood Risk Assessment is required by Local Planning Authorities when a planning application is made within Flood Zones 2 and 3. We must be consulted by law about development plans and other aspects of development control within the land use planning system. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has issued guidance in relation to flood risk and planning (PPS25), which stipulates a “risk based sequential search” for assessing development within the catchment. This guides how planning authorities allocate how the land is used and has a significant impact on development both locally and regionally. So it is essential that the CFMP fits with and supports this process. The CFMP does not replace a strategic flood risk assessment, which is a more detailed assessment of flood risk in relation to development and planning. We are also responsible for flood warning. We provide an online Flood Warning Service for designated Flood Warning Areas in England and Wales that is automatically updated every 15 minutes. Flood warning makes an important contribution to reducing the impact of flooding and can be particularly effective where there is a great deal of confidence in the rising river levels that have been predicted, and there is enough time for both the public and emergency services to respond effectively. Our flood defence work aims to protect people and property and improve the environment. The Environment Act 1995 and the Water Resources Act 1991 give us certain powers to carry out flood defence work on ‘main’ river watercourses. Appendix B: The Environmental Report (documenting the Strategic Environmental Assessment and including the Policy Appraisal Tables) Contents Non-Technical Summary Section B1 Introduction and Background B1.1 The purpose of SEA B1.2 The Catchment Flood Management Plan B1.3 Structure of the report appendix Section B2 Consultation Section B3 Environmental Context B3.1 Policy, plan and programme review B3.2 Baseline review B3.3 Scope of the SEA and environmental objectives Section B4 Assessment and evaluation of environmental effects B4.1 Strategic options and appraisal process B4.2 Assessment and evaluation of impacts B4.3 Cumulative environmental effects B4.4 Mitigation and enhancement B4.5 Monitoring requirements Annex A – Review of policies, plans, and programmes and relevance to the CFMP Annex B – Policy Appraisal Tables Annex C – Habitats Regulations Assessment List of Figures Figure NTS1 Preferred policy for each policy unit within the West Cornwall CFMP Figure B1.1 The location of the West Cornwall Catchment Flood Management Plan Figure B1.2 Location of Policy Units and Key Sites within the West Cornwall CFMP Figure B3.1 How the CFMP fits with the wider planning framework List of Tables Table B2.1 Summary of Newsletters issued during the development of the CFMP Table B2.2 Summary of first Steering Group Meeting Table B2.3 Summary of second Steering Group Meeting Table B3.1 Summary of current and future flood risk quantities Table B3.2 Scope of the SEA in relation to the CFMP Table B4.1 Definition of policy options Table B4.2 Tabulated Summary of Impacts of Preferred Option Table B4.3 Summary of the Appropriate Assessment requirements for Natura 2000 sites Table B4.4 Summary of cumulative issues Environment Agency i West Cornwall Catchment Flood Management Plan - December 2008 List of Forms (Appraisal tables in Annex B) Form 12.1 Purpose of the CFMP Form 12.2 Meeting Legal Requirements Form 12.3 Summary of Flood Risks Form 12.4 CFMP Policy Options Form 12.5 Summary of current and future level and response to flood risk Form 12.6 Screening of Policy Options against Appraisal Objectives Form 12.7 Summary of the Relative Overall Losses and Gains Form 12.8 Summary of the Preferred Policy Form 12.9 Requirements for further policy development and appraisal Form 12.10 Indicators for Monitoring, Review and Evaluation Environment Agency ii West Cornwall Catchment Flood Management Plan - December 2008 Non-Technical Summary We are developing the West Cornwall Catchment Flood Management Plan in order to establish long-term (50 - 100 years) policies for sustainable flood risk management. These policies will not set specific measures to reduce flood risk or establish how to manage flooding issues in a catchment. Our policies are at the highest level in our hierarchy of spatial flood risk management plans and are about setting the right strategic direction so that in the future we take the best and most sustainable approach to managing flood risk to people, the environment and the economy. Although not a legal requirement, we are undertaking strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as part of our planning process in order to demonstrate how our plan takes account of the environment and, in particular, the likely significant environmental effects of the CFMP. The CFMP involves: • working with key partners and decision makers to establish long-term policies for sustainable flood risk management; • carrying out a strategic assessment of current and future flood risk from all sources (such as rivers, sewers, groundwater and the sea) within the catchment, understanding both the likelihood and consequence of flooding and the effect of current ways of reducing risk. We measure the scale of risk in social, environmental and economic terms; • considering how the catchment works, and looking at other policies, plans and programmes to identify opportunities and constraints to achieving sustainable flood risk management; and • finding ways to work with nature, and manage flood risk to maintain, restore or improve natural and historic assets. In undertaking the SEA we considered the baseline environment, and how this would evolve without the influence of our plan. Current Flood Risk At present around 4,923 residential, commercial and industrial properties are located within the 1% a.p. flood area, which includes around 8,645 residents. There are a 70 community assets and 19 critical infrastructure assets within the 1% a.p. flood area for the majority of the catchment. These include Fire Stations in St Austell and St Ives, a Police Station in Par, Water Treatment Works (at Wendron and Stithians), telephone exchanges, and electricity substations. In addition, there are several roads including the A30, A390, A393, A3071, A3047, A3075, A3078, A3082, and the A3058, and a number of railways within the 1% a.p. flood area. This shows that across the CFMP area flood risk has a relatively high impact on these types of services. The social vulnerability levels indicate that most of West Cornwall is a 3 or a 4. There are small pockets where there is a level of social flood vulnerability at the highest level (5), such as Camborne, Falmouth, Truro, Helston, Veryan, Portloe, Mullion, St Michael, Helston, Penzance, Perranporth, Redruth, and St Environment Agency 3 West Cornwall Catchment Flood Management Plan - December 2008 Austell.