ADA Committees set objectives for 2017

On 10 January ADA’s two standing Committees met to agree which subjects affecting the water level management industry they should each investigate and deliver on as workstreams in 2017.

Below you can read about each Committee’s chosen workstreams for 2017, their intended purpose and outputs and the participants who have volunteered to help.

ADA would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new members who have joined our Committees this year. Technical and Environment Committee saw Karen Thomas (Water Management Alliance), Peta Denham (Environment Agency) and Kate Halka (Environment Agency) join, whilst ADA’s Policy and Finance Committee welcomed Priscilla Haselhurst (Medway Council) and Chris Rusbridge (Defra) who has taken over from Kathryn Holdsworth. ADA would also like to thank our existing members of both committees for their continued hard work and co-operation.

 

Workstreams 2017

 

Policy & Finance Committee

 

Membership Subscription Review for IDBs

To consider options for modifying the ADA membership subscription scale for IDBs and other membership classes. Seek external advice on setting membership subscriptions. Improve communication of benefits/functions of ADA to members.

Participants: Robert Caudwell, Frances Bowler, David Sisson, David Riddington, Innes Thomson.

 

IDB ratings reform

Continue to develop and test a new methodology for IDB ratings with Defra.

Participants: Craig Benson, Karen Daft, Robert Hill, Ian Moodie, Paul Sharman, Nick Stevens (Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium), Ralph Ward (South Holderness IDB).

 

Training for IDB Board Members

Develop package of tools to assist with training IDB board members in good governance practices. Help develop training workshop for IDB Board members at FLOODEX 2017.

Participants: Peter Bateson, Jane Froggatt, Robert Hill.

 

Communication and publicity tools for Branches and Members

Develop a package of documents and tools to promote the work of ADA and its members that can be used at Branch meetings, school visits, talks, conferences and on show stands at events. Provide guidance to members seeking to promote water level management work through traditional and digital/social media.

Participants: Karen Daft, Matthew Harrison, Daniel Withnall (Black Sluice IDB).

 

Developer Contributions

Develop guidance on appropriate legal use of contributions from developers towards the management and maintenance of water level management control structures and systems.

Participants: Frances Bowler, Paul Sharman, Bill Symons, David Sisson.

 

Technical & Environment Committee

 

Water Transfer Licencing

To respond to further work by Defra/Environment Agency in development of recording of water transfers into internal drainage districts from main river under Abstraction Reform.

Participants: Paul Sharman, David Thomas, Andrew Newton (Ely Group of IDBs).

 

De-maining and asset transfer

To develop and publish guidance to assist IDBs considering de-maining and asset transfer.

Participants: Ian Benn, John Oldfield, Karen Thomas, David Sisson.

 

Eels and fish passage

To respond to further work by Defra/Environment Agency regarding eel and fish passage at flood defence structures.

Participants: Alison Briggs, David Thomas

 

Biodiversity 2020

To complete guidance on renewing IDB Biodiversity Action Plans including ‘smart’ targets that can demonstrate contributions towards the Government’s Biodiversity 2020 objectives. To develop a mechanism for recording associated actions delivered by IDBs.

Participants: Rob Cathcart, Cliff Carson, Chris Manning, Alison Briggs

 

Emergency response and recovery

Investigate utilising Public Sector Cooperation Agreements (PSCA) to facilitate IDBs assisting during, and in the recovery from, emergency circumstances

Participants: Craig Woolhouse (Deputy Director Flood Incident Management, Environment Agency), Innes Thomson, Peta Denham, Karen Thomas, Ian Russell, Daniel Withnall (Black Sluice IDB).

 

Information Dashboard

To develop a suite of key statistics related to water level management and IDBs that can be used to promote the work of ADA’s members.

Participants: David Thomas, Karen Thomas.

 

Aquatic Herbicides

To consider the future availability of chemical control of aquatic vegetation and consideration of environmental/financial cost of alternative control methods.

Participants: Paul Sharman, Martin Redding (Assistant Engineering Manager, Witham Fourth District IDB), John Fenn (Operations Engineer, Middle Level Commissioners).

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