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Flood
alleviation strategy
10
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
What is the Broadlands Flood Alleviation Project?
2.
What types of flood defence will be used?
3.
Does the Environment Agency have to provide flood defence?
4.
Will my community receive flood defence?
5.
Will it make flooding worse in other communities?
6.
What influence can I have in the project?
7.
What is the role of the Broads Authority?
8.
Is a barrier out of the question?
9.
Will it protect me from the effects of climate change?
10.
Where can I find more information?
1. What is the Broadlands
Flood Alleviation Project?
This is a project to provide Broadland with defence against flooding over
the next 20 years. It will restore existing defences to 1995 standards
and provide additional defence to the 12 communities that are currently
undefended. It is planned to manage flooding and improve flooding defence,
though not prevent it.
Within the Broads, there are about 240km of floodbanks which protect the land and over 1700 properties. Many of these existing defences have deteriorated since they were built or last improved, which puts them at serious risk of being breached. And there are several hundred more properties with no adequate defence at all.
A Broads Authority representative, Kery Williams said: "This is the first time that we have had a flood alleviation scheme in the Broads which is strategic and looking at the long term. This is a £100 million project, which will be spent over 20 years and run as a Public Private Partnership Programme. In 2001 Broadlands Environmental Services Limited (BESL) was awarded the contract to deliver the project by the Environment Agency.
2.
What types of flood defence will be used?
A variety of defences will be used:
Floodbank Strengthening Used where there is a sufficient band of rond (land with plant cover) between the river and floodbank. Material will be added and the height will be increased to 1995 levels.
Floodbank Setback Used where the river is up against the floodbank and the defence is protected from erosion, eg with piling. Here a new clay floodbank will be built inland, set back far enough to establish a new rond between the defence and river's edge. The old floodbank will be removed once the new defence is in place.
Floodbank Erosion Control Used to stabilise floodbanks and edges of rond. The type of protection will depend on local circumstances and include asphalt matting, coir rolls and matting, alder poles and reed based products.
3.
Do the Environment Agency have to provide flood defences?
The Agency actually has no obligation to provide flood defence to the
Broads, but it has permissive powers to do so when they can demonstrate
that the cost of not providing defence is higher than the cost of providing
them.
4. Will my community receive
flood defence?
If there are existing flood defences in your community, then these will
be improved. There are another 12 undefended communities which will see
additional flood defences. These are Beccles, Brundall, Chedgrave/Lodden,
Horning, Hoveton/Wroxham, Oulton Broad North, Potter Heigham, Reedham,
Somerleyton, St Olaves, Surlingham and Thurne.First time defence will
only be provided to properties which meet criteria:
- They existed before July 1998
- They are a fixed building with water and/or sanitation and/or electricity
- They are at risk from flooding due to its floor level at or below a given level.
5.
Will it make flooding worse in other communities?
Through its contract, BESL must guarantee that its work will not increase
the risk of flooding in other communities. To do this they have developed
a hydraulic model to show the effects of their work in other areas, and
so they can ensure that work is done in the right order.
6.
What influence do I have in the project?
Everyone who has an interest in the project or will be affected by it
can influence the way the work is done to a certain degree. Nearly 600
different stakeholders from interests groups, organisations, businesses,
statutory and non-statutory bodies, plus 500 landowners and residents
are being asked to participate in the project. There are three levels
of influence:
Zero Some decisions, such as the type of project chosen, are not up for negotiation. These decisions were made in the 1990s following consultation and are now embedded in BESL's contract.
Medium Consultation with organisations will be able to identify opportunities to take advantage of the works. For instance, improvements in public access, moorings or natural habitat enhancements could be done at the same time. If this entails an extra cost, partnerships with statutory bodies would allow extra funding sources to be found for these.
High The details about how the work is carried out are negotiable with each landowner on an individual basis.
Residents in the undefended communities have been encouraged to influence the works in their area, through public meetings and through building relationships. In fact, the Agency has no right to go onto private land to carry out the work, so developing good working relationships with landowners is integral to the project's success. A spokesperson for BESL explained: "We want to genuinely roll back the barriers of public participation and make it meaningful. This project will run over 20 years and is not a one off, so we want to build relationships to ensure a long term and consistent consensus. Everyone has a role to play."
7.
What is the role of the Broads Authority?
The Broads Authority is a major player in the project, as a stakeholder
with navigation and conservation interests, and as the local planning
authority.
8.
Is a barrier out of the question?
The Environment Agency explored the option of flood barriers in the early
1990s, during a process of consultation and task groups. However, they
were dismissed because they didn't meet central government's cost-benefit
standards.
As a spokesperson for BESL explained: "Even if we had a barrier, we would still need to improve the floodbanks since it would only be shut a few time a year. The investment needed would be huge."And beyond 20 years? There is always a chance that the option of a barrier may resurface once this project has finished, and depending on conditions at that time may or may not become a viable option.
9.
Will the project protect me from the effects of climate change?
Climate change will mean that sea levels will rise for the foreseeable
future - a major problem for the low-lying Broads. The project recognises
and is planning for a 6mm a year rise in sea levels, which is the official
level recognised by central government.
However, other 'worst case' predictions have put sea level rise at nearer 16mm a year. A spokesman from BESL said: "The project has been costed from the government levels. If sea level rises are worse than 6mm a year, then additional funding from government will be needed to adapt."A hydraulic model has been developed to show how different sea levels will effect the area and project.
10.
Where can I find more information?
For more information about the Flood Alleviation Strategy see http://www.halcrow.com/latestnews_broadlandsflood.asp
Marshman Eric Edwards - the last of his kind