'Executive made a presentation on the 7 CFMPs being prepared by the Environment

Agency which affected the East Riding, all of which were being challenged in judicial

review proceedings brought by the Council.'(click here)

Councillor J Owen (in the Chair) - Deputy Leader of ERYC

Nigel Pearson - Chief Executive

Pete Ashcroft - Head of Planning and Development Management

Kristan Livingston - Head of Asset Strategy

Dave Waudby - Head of Infrastructure and Facilities

Mike Ball - Principal Engineer

Andrew McLachlan - Assistant Principal Engineer

Gareth Naidoo - Committee Manager

Environment Agency Representative - Helen Todd

Also in attendance: Cllr Mary-Rose Hardy - Anlaby & Anlaby Common Parish Council,

Cllr Wilf Train - Beeford Parish Council,

Cllr Ian Reid - Beswick Parish Council,

Cllr Hill - Bilton Parish Council,

 Cllr Jackie Gombault - Brandesburton Parish Council,

Cllr Margaret Armstrong - Burstwick Parish Council,

 Steve Moore - Burstwick United,

Cllr R Porter - Burton Constable Parish Council,

 Cllr Danny Gosling - Cherry Burton Parish Council,

 Cllr Jim Wastling - Coniston & Thirtleby Parish Council, John Goodman - Cottingham

Flood Action Group, Cllr Knight - Cottingham Parish Council, Paul Duffield - CREATE,

Cllr Stuart Haywood - Easington Parish Council, Cllr T Harris-McNee - East Garton Parish

Council, Cllr Tony Galbraith - Elloughton-cum-Brough Parish Council, Cllr Julie Abraham -

ERYC, Cllr Jane Evison - ERYC, Cllr R A Bolger - Etton Parish Council, Cllr Joan Foreman -

Foston on the Wolds Parish Council, Stephen Longman - Gilberdyke Flood Action Group,

Cllr John Jessop - Gilberdyke Parish Council, Cllr Keith Moore - Goole Town Council,

Cllr John Ledger - Hedon Town Council, Cllr Arthur Hodgson - Holderness Flood Defence

Group, Cllr John Miller - Hornsea Town Council, Cllr Mike Wray - Leconfield Parish Council,

Cllr Patricia Ablett - Leven Parish Council, Cllr Peter Hemmerman - Market Weighton Town

Council, Brian Clarvis - Molescroft Parish Council Clerk, Cllr C R Bolton - Newbald Parish

Council, Cllr Richard Bate - Newport Parish Council, Cllr C Bayram - North Cave Parish

Council, Cllr Ros Fairburn - North Cave Parish Council, Cllr John Halmshaw - North Ferriby

Parish Council, Cllr Philip Meadley - North Frodingham Parish Council, Deborah Merchant -

River Hull Flood Action Group, Cllr Jackie Cracknell - Roos Parish Council, Cllr D Winter -

Roos Parish Council, Doran Curley - Shiptonthorpe Flood Action Group, Cllr Claude Mole -

Shiptonthorpe Parish Council, Cllr Jill Pick - Skerne & Wansford Parish Council, Cllr J Bradshaw

- Skipsea Parish Council, Cllr Graham Hulme - Snaith & Cowick Town Council, Cllr Mike

Turner - South Cave Parish Council, Cllr Brian Freeman - Sproatley Parish Council, Cllr Will

Osgerby - Sunk Island Parish Council, Cllr Peter Thompson - Swine Parish Council, Cllr

Howard Sinkler - Tickton & Routh Parish Council, Cllr Alan Bailey - Lissett & Ulrome Parish

Council, Cllr Thomson - Walkington Parish Council, Denise Sowden - Westwood Flood Action

Group, Cllr Gordon Hodgson - Withernsea Parish Council, Cllr Matthew Grove - Withernwick

Parish Council.

The meeting was held at County Hall, Beverley.

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first meeting of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Flood Liaison Group. The floods of June

2007 highlighted a huge range of issues for multi-agency organisations across the region. As a

result East Riding of Yorkshire Council set up the Flood Review Panel, which in turn led to the

creation of the Flood Protection and Resilience Board, involving Members and Officers of East

Riding of Yorkshire Council and multi-agency organisations, such as the Environment Agency

and Yorkshire Water. An invitation to attend this meeting had been sent out to all Town and

Parish Councils and Flood Action Groups across the East Riding of Yorkshire with the aim of

promoting a wider understanding and engagement on flood risk issues and to share local

knowledge and experience and lobby on flood management issues.

Executive made a presentation on the 7 CFMPs being prepared by the Environment

Agency which affected the East Riding, all of which were being challenged in judicial

review proceedings brought by the Council.

The Council had challenged the Environment Agency on the grounds that it

had failed to properly consult the public and the Council on the preparation of all 7

CFMPs and had raised concerns about the cumulative impact of the 5 main rivers

which confluence at Goole. The issue was whether the 5 CFMPs covering the Goole

area fully took into account the flood risk not just for the town of Goole but for the

wider surrounding area. The Chief Executive believed that this was particularly

important given the flat low lying topography of the area.

The Chief Executive explained that the CFMPs were high level plans which

identified the broad policies for flood risk management inner catchment over 50 – 100

years. Whilst they did not determine specific flood management measures or actions

they did help to determine where investment in flood defences would take place in the

future. Each of the CFMPs was divided into policy units which broadly indicated the

level of investment and maintenance which may take place in the future. The

Environment Agency then proposed to prepare strategy plans for parts of the area at

significant flood risk such as the River Hull Strategy Plan.

The Chief Executive explained that the Council and the Environment Agency

had met and reached agreement on a way forward to deal with the issues raised by the

Council in the judicial reviews proceedings, which had been adjourned for the time

being.

The Environment Agency had now agreed to reconsult the public on all 7

CFMPs once they have been reviewed and finalised.

The Environment Agency had agreed that in respect of the Hull & Coastal

Streams CFMP that the reconsultation would take place in parallel with the River Hull

Strategy Plan once this had been prepared. This would allow the public a fuller

understanding of what was proposed and what the implications would be for them and

their homes and businesses. This work was likely to take several months and the

Agency would not be in a position to undertake the reconsultation until next spring.

The Chief Executive confirmed that town and parish councils and flood action groups

would be kept up to date with developments.

The Environment Agency had also agreed to carry out a study of the Goole

3

area. This study would examine the tidal, fluvial and pluvial flood risk across the area,

taking into account future predictions in relation to rises in flood level due to climate

change. This was important work and was to be completed over the next few months.

Following this the Environment Agency would consider whether any changes needed

to be made to the policy options or actions in any of the 5 CFMPs affecting the Goole

area. The public reconsultation of the 5 CFMPs would only take place once this work

was completed.

The Council was still to agree the boundaries for the River Hull Strategy Plan

and discussions were taking place regarding the Environment Agency’s proposal to

carry out a study of the South Holderness area. The Chief Executive explained the

implications of this in relation to the reconsultation on the Hull & Coastal Streams

CFMP.

largely to withdraw the maintenance of uneconomic fluvial flood defences across the

country in order to divert investment into urban and industrial areas.

The Chief Executive reported that the Council, with the support of town and

parish councils across the East Riding, had worked hard to oppose the Environment

Agency adopting the policy in the East Riding and elsewhere in the region.

This had also been opposed by the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence

Committee, at the regional level and in the briefings with local MPs on the issue.

The Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee organised an event in Leeds

on 14 September which some town and parish councils had attended. The position at

the present time was that the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee had not

adopted the policy at the regional level. The Chief Executive referred to the

importance of keeping up the campaign because whilst some success had been achieved

at the regional level the national policy remained in place.

24 inch high velocity pump had been relocated by the Environment Agency to their

depot at Tickton where it could be made operational at Hedon Haven to meet any

flood emergency at very short notice.

Whilst this was good news there was some concern that the pump could be

used elsewhere outside of the region should the need arise which may leave the East

Riding at risk and this would be kept under review by the Council.

visited the East Riding and Hull on 21 – 22 September 2009. As part of the visit the

Board met with Members and officers of the Council to discuss flood risk issues in the

East Riding. The visit took in a number of locations, including inspection of the River

Hull Flood Barrier which was in the process of being refurbished.

The meeting went well and the main Board had gained a greater understanding

of the flood risk issues in the East Riding and how these could impact upon agriculture

and the economy in general.

Whilst the Council had major issues with the Environment Agency, working

relations at the operational level were very good, which was beneficial to all parties.

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the East Riding which resulted in insurance claims being made in excess of £250m. In

addition to this the Council had incurred damage to premises and infrastructure

estimated to be in the order of £45m. Of this the Council has received some £17m

from the Government, Europe and other sources. This funding had contributed

towards the cost to the Council of repairs and renewals to schools and other premises,

highways, bridges and other infrastructure. Attention was drawn specifically to

construction work which would begin in January 2010 for the rebuild of Hedon Inmans

Primary School. The Council had approved a £4.5m programme to alleviate flood risk

by clearing and improving drains and ditches and through other flood protection

works.

In August 2009 DEFRA allocated £16 million to local authorities to help

improve surface water flooding. Of this £9.7 million had been awarded to 77 local

authorities for areas where the evidence showed that the risk and potential impact of

surface water flooding could be highest and where surface water management plans

were most needed to help understand and manage flooding. Although the East Riding

was in the top 10 for flood risk in the country, it had not received any funding for

surface water flood risk management, whilst Hull City Council had been allocated

£250,000 for this purpose.

flood risk in the East Riding be made available to members of the group.

Review Panel report into the floods of 2007 the Overview Management Committee

agreed that a progress report would be produced after 12 months. Of the 60

recommendations in the report the Council had actioned 36 and the remaining

recommendations were either in progress or nearing completion.

A report which set out the progress made by the Council to date on the

recommendations made in the Flood Review Panel Report would be submitted to the

appropriate Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 28 October 2009 for its consideration.

presentation on the operational implementation of works programme. 187 separate site

schemes had been established, 106 of which were now underway or had started. For

2010/11 £2 million of new works had been identified from investigations, CCTV

surveys and discussions with local communities. There was also the introduction of

telemetry, an automated device that monitored any water flow blockages. A remote

monitoring device would be strategically placed and when the amount of water flow

appeared greater than the pre-programmed quantity, an alert would be sent and an

officer despatched to the problem area. Two sites were currently being trialled with a

possible 25 sites identified across the East Riding where telemetry could be

implemented.

presentation on the Land Drainage Enquiry System which had been established

following the 2007 floods. The system was a database for logging information received,

as well as allowing the prioritisation of work and identification of resources. It was also

noted that the Council, as a last resort, could use enforcement powers to ensure

5

watercourses were kept clear. There were 3 steps to the enforcement powers: STEP 1

Advice Letter – 28 Days, STEP 2 Formal Warning Letter – 14 Days and STEP 3 Legal

Enforcement. To date the Council had not had to implement Step 3.

available online to the general public.

recommendations of the Flood Review Panel was to convene a multi-agency flood risk

group. The group had developed a number of emergency plans since the floods of

2007, including a strategic flood risk assessment to the road network which mapped out

emergency routes for the emergency services should certain roads become impassable.

A multi-agency emergency planning pilot study was currently being undertaken

in the Burstwick area and was hoped that should this study prove successful, it would

be rolled out across the East Riding.

discussed during the course of the meeting and Councillor Owen concluded the

meeting by urging all who were in attendance to lobby together in order to tackle the

issues surrounding flooding. Suggestions for future agenda items were to be passed to

Gareth Naidoo.

questions be stated on the agenda.

made available prior to the meeting.

would take place early in the New Year, prior to the completion of the CFMPs consultation

period. All in attendance would be notified in advance of this meeting.

Committee Manager

Tel. 01482 393206

Email: gareth.naidoo@eastriding.gov.uk

Policy, Partnerships & Improvement Highway Asset Management

Tel. 01482 395552

Email: richard.alderson@eastriding.gov.uk

Tel. 01482 395656

Email: land.drainage@eastriding.gov.uk

Web : www.eastriding.gov.uk/atoz - and type “land drainage”.

Source: http://www.gilberdyke.org.uk/MASON%20CLARK%20REPORT/FLG_mins_19oct09.pdf