Added 26/7/2009
National Farmers' Union responds to draft floods Bill
24 July 2009
The National Farmers' Union has responded to the government's draft Floods and Water Management Bill.
The Bill follows one of the largest reviews of recent years - resulting in Sir Michael Pitt's report on the 2007 floods. The key changes are likely to be introduced before the election in the next parliamentary session. Other elements will follow in due course.
It includes new roles for the Environment Agency and county and unitary authorities, changes in funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management and the re-shaping of Regional Flood Defence Committees.
There are proposals for the reform of Internal Drainage Boards, the introduction of mandatory sustainable drainage systems for new developments, a risk-based approach to reservoir safety (including small on-farm reservoirs) and the creation of statutory nuisances to deal with watercourse blockages and surface run-off. Changes are also planned for the scope of hosepipe bans during droughts.
Extract from NFL response:
Under Conditions: there is no reference to the state of main rivers. The condition of main rivers and their maintenance is of great concern to our members; channel-wide maintenance (including dredging and clearing of bankside vegetation) is vital to both flood risk and water level management. The reduction in cycles of maintenance since the EA took over responsibility for main rivers must be reversed if we are to see the benefits the Bill aims to deliver.