Download Flood Management in Lancashire: An Overview of Issues and

Sustainable Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Meeting to be held on 14 November 2007
Part I - Item No. 4
Electoral Division affected:
All
Flood Management in Lancashire: An Overview of Issues and Responsibilities
(Appendices ‘A’ & ‘B’ refer)
Contact for further information: Clare Phillips, 01772 534188, Environment
Directorate
Executive Summary
The effects of this summer's severe floods are still being felt acutely in some parts of
the country. The UK has experienced devastating floods throughout the last five
years, which have affected thousands of people and caused millions of pounds
worth of damage. The Government is currently undertaking a review (the ‘Pitt
Review’) into the impact of floods and the emergency response to flood. It is due to
report its initial findings later this year.
Committee members have requested an overview on issues and responsibilities
relating to flood management in Lancashire. This report has been developed by
officers from the County Council and covers such matters as:
 Overview of current flood management responsibilities in Lancashire
 Relevant Plans & Strategies
 Overview Responsibilities during contingency operations
From the report, it can be concluded that:
 The Government’s wide-ranging review of current flood management practices
following this summer’s floods will be significant for all organisations with a role
in flood management, emergency planning and recovery. The Environment
Agency, which is the single largest agency responsible for flood management, is
expected to see its remit extended and strengthened in several key areas,
including coastal defence.
 Other on-going changes, such as the replacement of the Joint Structure Plan
with a single Regional Spatial Strategy, and a strengthening of the planning role
for District authorities, will also increasingly influence strategic flood risk
decisions.
Continued…
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Recommendation
The Committee is asked to note and comment on the report.
Background
Just a year after recording one of the country's driest summers, the UK has suffered
its wettest ever in 2007. The UK has experienced devastating floods throughout the
last five years, which have affected thousands of people and caused millions of
pounds worth of damage. Five million people in England and Wales and two million
homes are vulnerable to flooding from rivers and coasts. The total financial cost of all
of the property, land and assets in these areas has been put at a value of £214
billion.
It was not possible to accurately predict where most of 2007’s summer floods would
strike. The Environment Agency has said that most were "surface water" not river
floods. The Agency is responsible for the latter and better able to predict them.
Sheffield had suffered "very rapid flooding" from surface water and it had been very
difficult to give any warning at all.
Where flooding resulted from rivers, (for example along the River Wye in Hereford), it
appeared that flood defences were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of rain that
had fallen over such a large area. Few flood systems are designed to cope with this
volume of water, said to have now topped levels last seen in 1947.
Lessons will need to be learned from the summer’s floods. Immediately following
these events, the Government announced a review into the emergency responses to
the floods and looking into ways that such extensive impacts might be prevented in
future. Sir Michael Pitt was appointed to chair the review, which is expected to report
its initial findings in December of this year.
The UK Government spends nearly £500 million a year on flood defences, which
includes river and coastal defences. After the 2007 summer floods a further £250
million will be paid in 2011-12. However, more than £15 million was cut from
Environment Agency flood defence work last year after a shortfall of money in the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Many major schemes
have been postponed and spending is concentrated on areas considered most at
risk. Many local authorities and local defence committees say this has reduced the
amount spent on maintenance of sewers, banks, drains and ditches. Water
companies are not obliged to upgrade their drainage systems in line with the
increased needs due to climate change.
What is a Flood Event?
Flood events can take many forms, including:
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Rapid-onset flash floods caused by accumulation of rainwater in poorly drained
environments.
River floods.
Coastal floods caused by tidal and wave extremes.
Inland and coastal flooding associated with windstorm events.
Climate Change and Projecting Future Rates of Flood Events
Floods are a symptom of climate change, up to a point. Climate change predictions
suggest more intense and unpredictable, adverse weather and we have certainly
experienced some of the heaviest rains ever during a British summer. However, the
2007 summer was also dominated by low pressure, thanks in part to the jet stream
being much further south than we would normally expect at this time of the year. A
cold water current in the eastern Pacific, La Nina, also played a part, according to
the Met Office.
Though major limitations remain in our ability to make robust projections of future
rates of climate change and its effects, increasing predictive evidence of heightened
risk of inland and coastal flooding is emerging. Current climate change scenarios
suggest:
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An increase in the amount of rainfall during winter.
Flood-generating rainfall events will be more frequent.
Catchments will be wetter for longer.
Appendix ‘A’, Figures 1 & 2 illustrate future climate change scenarios.
The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has undertaken some
‘extreme sea-level simulations’ including mean sea-level rise and storms. These
worst-case scenario simulations are based on a number of theoretical assumptions
about very high levels of continued carbon emissions together with large increases in
temperature. The simulations assume:
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Sea-level rise has substantial inertia (due to slow thermal expansion) and will
continue beyond 2100 for many centuries.
Irreversible breakdown of the West Antarctica and/or Greenland ice sheets, if
triggered by rising temperature, would make this long-term rise significantly
larger, with sea level rises of up to 14 meters.
As can be seen from the map, Appendix ‘A’ Figure 3, such an extreme scenario
(albeit with a very high degree of uncertainty of whether it becomes a reality) does
show Lancashire’s vulnerability to sea level rise; ultimately questioning the viability of
many of Lancashire’s coastal settlements in the coming centuries if these extreme
sea level simulations happen.
The United Nations Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working
Group I Fourth Assessment 6.4, 10.7; Working Group II Fourth Assessment 19.3
state:
-4“There is medium confidence that at least partial deglaciation of the Greenland ice
sheet, and possibly the West Antarctic ice sheet, would occur over a period of time
ranging from centuries to millennia for a global average temperature increase of 14°C (relative to 1990-2000), causing a contribution to sea-level rise of 4-6 meters or
more. The complete melting of the Greenland ice sheet and the West Antarctic ice
sheet would lead to a contribution to sea-level rise of up to 7 meters and about 5
meters, respectively”.
We also have evidence that the weather is already changing. We have seen:
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An increased high intensity rainfall since the 1960s.
Seasonal rainfall varying by as much as 15% from the average in the last 30
years.
Sea level rise at Liverpool of around 6cm in the last 50 years.
Increased flooding of some of the regions major rivers in the last few decades.
Flood Management in Lancashire
Responsibilities for flood management lie across several organisations. The
Environment Agency is the single largest flood defence authority in England and
Wales. However, the Agency shares responsibility for this essential public service
with over 400 local authorities and 228 internal drainage boards. This is clearly a
complex area. There are several areas where responsibilities are less than clear, for
example how land drainage authorities share responsibilities, and what impact the
Environment Agency’s extended strategic role might have. Other areas of
responsibility, such as maintaining electricity supplies, are obviously critical to the
welfare of many.
The Lancashire Resilience Forum provides comprehensive arrangements for
managing and resourcing a combined response during flood events.
Development planning also has a critical role in managing future flood risks.
Changes in the planning system, including the replacement of the Joint Lancashire
Structure Plan with the Regional Spatial Strategy (expected to happen in 2008), and
a more diverse role for District planning authorities, will take some time to fully
understand. However, this is likely to affect how key partners co-ordinate forward
planning measures to tackle flooding.
Appendix ‘B’ includes tables and figures that provide information on:
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An overview of flood management responsibilities in Lancashire (Table 1).
Relevant Plans & Strategies (Table 2)
Responsibilities during contingency operations (Table 3)
In addition, Appendix ‘B’, Figure 1, provides a summary of the organisations and
services involved in emergency responses, and the routes of communication
between these groups.
-5Conclusions

This report has been developed over a short time-frame and therefore can only
provide an overview. There are several key developments which it has not been
able to cover, including the recommendations expected from the Government’s
ongoing and wide-ranging ‘Pitt Review’ into the summer’s flooding, which will
have a large impact on future flood management arrangements.

The ‘Pitt Review’, of current flood management practices will be significant for all
organisations with a role in flood management, emergency planning and
recovery.

The Environment Agency and other key partners in the Lancashire Resilience
Forum, will be in a position to undertake a more comprehensive assessment of
flood arrangements when the ‘Pitt Review’ recommendations are completed

The Environment Agency, which is the single largest agency responsible for flood
management is expected to see its remit extended and strengthened in several
key areas, including coastal defence.

Other on-going changes, such as the replacement of the Joint Structure Plan with
a single Regional Spatial Strategy, and a strengthening of the planning role for
District authorities, will also increasingly influence strategic flood risk decisions.
Consultations
N/A.
Advice
Support in preparing this report was provided by:
Mr David Stott, Senior Emergency Planning Officer, Lancashire County Council.
Mr Mike Kirby, Chief Planning Officer, Lancashire County Council.
Mr Rick Hayton, Network Manager (Highways), Lancashire County Council.
Dr John Collins, Area Manager, Environment Agency.
Alternative Options to be considered
N/A.
-6Implications: e.g. Financial, Legal, Personnel, Human Rights, Crime and Disorder
or Other
This item has the following implications:
N/A.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of Background Papers
Paper
Date
N/A.
Reason for inclusion in Part II, if appropriate
N/A.
Contact/Directorate/Ext