River transfer project brings ‘new wave’ of responsibility for local communities

A project designed to give local organisations and communities more say over the management of local watercourses has entered a new phase with the launch of public drop-ins in four pilot areas throughout October 2017.

Venues, dates and times of the drop-in sessions are listed below and are being sent to residents via postcards.

 The  project is exploring the potential to re-designate several sections of selected ‘Main Rivers’ as ‘Ordinary Watercourses,’ (a process known as ‘de-maining’). In agreement with the Environment Agency, other risk management authority partners such as Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) or Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are keen to take on the lead role managing local watercourses.

The project is piloting these changes in five locations. Four of these locations are now approaching the consultation stage of the process and drop-in events will be held in:

• Several rivers in Norfolk and Suffolk (involving Norfolk Rivers IDB, Broads IDB, East Suffolk IDB, Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council),
• Stour Marshes in Kent (involving River Stour IDB),
• The Isle of Axholme in the East Midlands (involving the Isle of Axholme & North Nottinghamshire Water Level Management Board),
• South Forty Foot Catchment in Lincolnshire (involving Black Sluice IDB).

The final pilot Wormbrook and Allensmore Brook, involving River Lugg IDB in the West Midlands will be running to a different timeline.

The project aims to bring significant benefits to local communities, allowing those who know the layout of their land to take control of their local watercourses, and could help pave the way for further de-maining opportunities throughout England.

For the Environment Agency, the project will also ensure resources are prioritised where the greatest impact on reducing flood risk can be achieved.

Rachael Hill, Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency, said: “The Environment Agency is committed to listening and working with local organisations and acting on new initiatives to strengthen local decision making to make our environment a better place for people and wildlife.

“Internal Drainage Boards and Lead Local Flood Authorities are very much on the ground in local communities. Giving them responsibility over their own watercourses is a win-win situation that will ensure that the right people are managing the right watercourses and flood risk management assets in the right places.

“De-maining is an extremely exciting opportunity for the Environment Agency to transfer responsibilities to IDBs, local authorities, farmers, landowners and the wider community to manage their own local watercourses. We welcome the launch of the community drop-in sessions and we look forward to working together to make the project a success for everyone involved.”

Innes Thomson Chief Executive of the Association of Drainage Authories (ADA) added:  “This is an unmissable opportunity for local communities to have their say on how they would like to see their local watercourses managed in the best way to make use of the funds available, whilst improving the quality of those watercourses, the environment and community wellbeing associated with healthy, maintained rivers and streams.

“The drop-in sessions are an ideal way to find out more about the plans, help allay possible concerns and, very importantly, to provide support for these trials so please do try and find time to come to one of them.”

Gaining local support for the transfer of watercourses through engagement and consultation is essential for the success of the project. The public drop ins will be an opportunity for local communities and interested parties to ask questions and influence the proposals.

This will be followed by a formal consultation on Gov.uk currently scheduled for December 2017 which will seek further views on the proposals. If there are no objections, changes to the watercourse will take place in July 2018.

 

Drop-in sessions

East Midlands:

26 October 2017 2pm-5pm, Haxey Chapel- Stephen Jones Community Hall, DN9 2LA

31 October 2017 10am – 1pm Coronation Hall, DN9 1RL.

Lincolnshire:

9 October 2017 1pm-6pm, Rippingale Village Hall, PE10 0TA

11 October 2017 1pm-6pm Billingborough Village Hall, NG34 0QH

18 October 2017 1pm-6pm Helpringham memorial Hall, NG34 0RJ

Norfolk and Suffolk:

16 October 2017 2pm-7pm – Kettlestone Village Hall, NR21 0AU

19 October 2017 2pm-7pm – Dereham Memorial Hall Meeting Room, NR19 1AD

24 October 2017 2pm-7pm – Halesworth Methodist Church, IP19 8LR

26 October 2017 2pm-7pm – Wymondham Central Hall, NR18 0QB

27 October 2017 3pm-7pm – Hunstanton Community Centre, PE36 5BW

31 October 2017 2pm-7pm – Sea Palling and Waxham Village Hall, NR12 0US

Stour Marshes:

4 October 2017   2 – 7pm   Minster Village Hall, CT12 4BU

19 October 2017 2 – 7pm   Little Chart Village Hall, TN27 0QB

25 October 2017 2 – 7pm   Great Mongeham Parish Hall, CT14 9LL

 

Notes to editors

 An Internal Drainage Board (IDB) is an independent public body responsible for water level management in low lying areas. They also play an important role in the areas they cover (approximately 10% of England at present), working in partnership with other authorities, such as the Environment Agency and Lead Local Flood Authorities (such as County Councils), to actively manage and reduce the risk of flooding.

Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFA) (County Councils and Unitary Authorities) provide leadership and strategic co-ordination across all sources of local flood risk and establishing local flood risk management strategies. They also manage the risk of flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses (i.e. watercourses which are not designated as main rivers).

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