The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) has released a report on Future Flood Prevention (full report available here as a .pdf). While the kind of schemes proposed makes sense, the funding model does not.
Cllr Sarah Lunnon, Stroud Central (Green) in response to the report, said “I’ve been involved in promoting Natural Flood Management since the devastating floods in 2007. This resulted in the Stroud District Rural Sustainable Drainage Project (RSUDS) getting underway which is now having a noticeable impact on the watercourses in the Frome Catchment.
This is a brilliant, innovative project, of the type called for in the EFRA’s report, who appear to have missed that ‘Slowing the Flow’ is being implemented catchment-wide in the Frome tributaries – supported by landowners, the community and politicians of all colours.
“While I welcome the thrust of the report, there is a worm in the apple… This incredibly successful and remarkably cost-effective scheme has been hosted by Stroud District Council. The Council’s responsibility for local water courses has enabled it to engage with and support the catchment pilot as part of its remit.
The barrier to these types of incremental schemes has been a lack of data, meaning that no cost-benefit can be calculated, so Government rules for funding flood schemes couldn’t be met. The governance has not been what has held such low-impact innovative schemes back. As such, I’m deeply disappointed with the EFRA report recommendations which effectively call for the privatisation of flood risk management for local watercourses (see below). Our water companies have not covered themselves in glory dealing with inadequate sewage infrastructure and leaking pipes – how and why will they take risks to develop and implement innovative responses to almost intractable local flood issues?”
EFRA Future Flood Prevention Para 84, point 2 (pg34)
2) Establishment of integrated Water and Drainage Companies, by extending Water and Sewerage Company remits to cover local drainage:
- On a catchment and thus broadly regional basis, these bodies would take on land drainage and local river management functions from local authorities (district councils). This would allow the integrated management of water and flood management—a key factor in the ability of the Dutch system to deliver efficient approaches;
- Water company regulation would remain with Ofwat but the Floods Commissioner, with advice from the Regional Boards, would agree a forward programme of measures with Ofwat as part of the 5 year business planning process. This arrangement is similar to how the EA engages with Ofwat in delivering the National Environmental Plan;
- Water bills would increase to cover the new responsibilities but local levies would be removed to make the proposal broadly cost-neutral for consumers. In the longer-term, regulatory pressure and the efficiencies of combining water and flood management should drive costs down;
- Spatial planning remains a district/unitary council responsibility and flood risk management could also become a specific aspect of local plans;
- Water and Drainage Companies would become statutory consultees for new development as well as potentially taking on the role of SUDs adopting authority