POLICY STATEMENT ON FLOOD PROTECTION AND WATER LEVEL MANAGEMENT


1.    INTRODUCTION

Purpose

1.1    This policy statement has been prepared by Drysides Internal Drainage Board to provide a public statement of the Board’s approach to their management of flood risk and water levels in their District.

Background
1.2    The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has policy responsibility for flood and coastal defence in England.  However, delivery is the responsibility of a number of flood and coastal defence “operating authorities” which includes the Drysides Internal Drainage Board.  The Board maintained infrastructure is shown in para 3.2 below and on the plan attached to this Statement.

1.3    The Government has published a policy aim and three objectives for flood and coastal defence 1.  “To ensure a more certain delivery of the aim and objectives by the individual operating authorities” the Government has published a series of high level targets 2.  The first target requires each operating authority to publish a policy statement setting out their plans for delivering the Government’s policy aim and objectives in their area.  This will include an assessment of the risk of flooding in their area, and what plans they have to reduce that risk.

1.4    This policy statement fulfils that requirement.  The Board are providing a copy to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Middle Level Commissioners, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Environment Agency and local authorities in the District.  Copies are also available from the Board’s offices at Middle Level Offices, Dartford Road, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 8AF.

2.    HOW THE BOARD WILL DELIVER THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY AIM AND OBJECTIVES

2.1    Drysides IDB support the Government’s aim and objectives for flood defence.  The Board’s policy and approach will be consistent with them, taking into account the resources of the Board.

Policy Aim

    To reduce the risk to people and the developed and natural environment from flooding and coastal erosion by encouraging the provision of technically, environmentally and economically sound and sustainable defence measures.

    Section 3 below sets out the Board’s plans for reducing or managing the flood risk in the Board’s District.

Objective (a)
    To encourage the provision of adequate and cost effective flood warning systems.

    The Board will assist the Environment Agency and the Middle Level Commissioners wherever possible in their provision of adequate and cost effective flood warning systems,  integrating with the Agency and the Commissioners in response to flood emergencies and participating as necessary in exercises to develop and test emergency response procedures.

Objective (b)
    To encourage the provision of adequate, economically, technically and environmentally sound and sustainable flood and coastal defences.

•    The Board’s powers to carry out flood defence works are permissive and their resources limited.  The Board’s policy is therefore to designate what the Board consider the most important watercourses in the District as “District Drains” and apply their resources primarily to the proper maintenance and where necessary improvement of such channels and associated structures.  The watercourses and structures so designated will change to meet changing needs over time as necessary but the watercourses and structures at present so designated are shown on the plan attached to this Statement.  Other watercourses usually are the responsibility of other bodies or the adjoining owners and the Board will only take action in respect of these latter watercourses where resources are available and where it is in all the circumstances appropriate for the Board to become involved, bearing in mind the powers available to other persons or bodies.

•    In carrying out their functions the Board will consider their activities within the wider natural and developed environment seeking to ensure the avoidance of any adverse impact.  The Board will equally co-operate with other drainage authorities and organisations in seeking to ensure that adverse impacts on the drainage District do not arise as a result of other activities.

•    The Board will carry out their maintenance and improvement works in an efficient and cost effective way using best practice and accessing appropriate specialist advice when necessary.

•    To achieve the above objective the Board will so far as is practicable and appropriate undertake and encourage the provision of adequate, economically, technically and environmentally sound and sustainable flood protection and water level management measures and so far as their powers permit seek to control development which could increase the risk of flooding.

•    Within the drainage District potentially all the area is at some risk of flooding and the Board will seek to retain this risk at acceptable levels through the undertaking of appropriate improvements and the implementation of a sound maintenance strategy. They will also seek to ensure that the Middle Level Commissioners and the Environment Agency maintain at a satisfactory standard any flood defences which also afford protection to the District.  It is of course not possible for all risk of flooding to be eliminated.

Objective (c)
    To discourage inappropriate development in areas at risk from flooding.

    The potential impact on flood risk through future development in the drainage District, or in the wider catchment draining to the District, is fully recognised by the Board and the Board will take an active role in the assessment of structure planning, local plans and individual applications to seek to ensure that flood risk is not increased.  Where appropriate, the Board will secure from Developers, and other direct beneficiaries, contributions to cover the cost of both immediate and longer term works necessary in ensuring that any potential increase in flood risk is alleviated.

3.    FLOODING RISKS IN THE BOARD’S DISTRICT

3.1    As mentioned in Section 2, the entire District is at some risk of flooding but that risk is substantially controlled. The following are the key details of the District:
    Catchment Area draining to and including the District    415 ha
    Total area of the District    332 ha
    Area of Agricultural Land    250 ha
    Other land including property, highways, etc    82 ha

3.2    Board Maintained Infrastructure
        Pumping Stations    1 No
        Other Water Level Control Structures    3 No
        Watercourses        4 km
    Adjacent to the District are the following assets maintained by the Environment Agency
        Moreton’s Leam and its embankments    (on the northern and north western boundaries)
        Nene Washes         (flood storage reservoir)
    Adjacent to the District are the following assets maintained by the Middle Level Commissioners
        Kings Dyke        (on the western and southern (part) boundaries)
        Stanground Lock

3.3    Regulation of Activities
    The Board will exercise as required their powers under the Land Drainage Act 1991 and their Byelaws to seek to ensure that activities in and alongside their drainage system do not reduce flood protection standards and unnecessarily increase flood risk.
    The Board will in particular monitor and where necessary exercise their powers to control discharges into watercourses from pits or from operational mineral workings.

3.4    Standard of Protection
    Through the operation and maintenance of the pumping station and the channel system the Board seek to maintain a general standard capable of providing flood protection to their District in conjunction with the works of the Environment Agency and the Middle Level Commissioners of 1 in 100 years.  This likely return period can not be taken literally and should be considered as a chance of some overspilling from the system taking place each year as being 1%.
    The Board are particularly concerned to ensure that the Environment Agency take all necessary steps to properly control seepage from Moreton’s Leam into the District particularly when high water levels are present on the Nene Washes.

3.5    Management of Flood Risks
    The Board monitor the condition of their pumping station and watercourses, particularly those watercourses, overspilling from which could affect property.  Consistent with the established need, a routine maintenance programme is in place to ensure that the condition of the Board’s assets is commensurate with the standards of protection which are sought.  Where standards are not at the policy level, improvement works will be considered and undertaken where it is appropriate to do so.

    The Board welcome from their agricultural ratepayers, special levy councils and members of the public any comments on the condition of their system which could lead to any increased flood risk.

3.6    Publicity
    The Board will seek to promote the need for works in their District and create a rational understanding among people who live and work in it as to what the flood risk is and the efforts made to control it.  They will also seek to achieve directly and through local councils a culture within which the watercourses are seen as vital to controlling flood risk, whilst providing an interesting aquatic habit and dissuade abuse of them through dumping waste or obstructing flows in other ways.  The Board will publish their proposed annual programme of capital and maintenance work at their offices and in such other ways as from time to time may be deemed appropriate.

4.    ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES

    The Drysides IDB have nature conservation duties under the Land Drainage Act 1991, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and as a competent authority under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994.  The Board will fulfil these in a positive way.

    Much of the Board’s watercourse maintenance work constitutes vegetation control and de-silting and is a vital and routine requirement.  Whilst inevitably some short term impact will arise, this management is essential also to maintain the diverse aquatic habitat in the District.  The Board maintain only a small proportion of the total watercourse length in the District, the significant majority being the responsibility of the adjoining land owners or of other bodies.

    When carrying out works, be it maintenance or improvement, and consistent with the need to maintain satisfactory flood protection standards, the Board will aim to

•    avoid any unnecessary or long term damage to natural habitats
•    ensure no net loss of habitats covered by Biodiversity Action Plans, monitoring any gains and losses and reporting annually to the Environment Agency
•    take appropriate opportunities to enhance habitats.

5.    REVIEW OF POLICY STATEMENT

    Drysides IDB will review this Policy Statement within a period not extending beyond 5 years.

    References

    1    Strategy for Flood and Coastal Defence in England and Wales MAFF and Welsh Office, September 1993

    2    High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence Operating Authorities and Elaboration of the Environment Agency’s Flood Defence Supervisory Duty MAFF, November 1999.