Dave Ferguson - 18-Apr-2007
- Banbury’s Flood alleviation scheme has
received a £9million pledge of cash
from the Environment Agency.
The money, which was agreed by the Environment
agency’s Regional Flood Defence Committee
on Thursday, 12 April 2007, has been promised
over the next five years. The committee
is made up of representatives from councils
from across London, Oxfordshire, Berkshire
and Buckinghamshire.
The money will fund nearly two thirds of
the estimated £13 million cost of
the proposed scheme and will allow the Environment
Agency to progress with the plans. It is
hoped that other partners can be found to
meet the cost of the rest of the scheme.
Banbury’s flood alleviation scheme was
put on hold last August after it became
clear it would not be eligible for funding
from a national pool of money.
Geoff Bell, area flood risk manager at
the Environment Agency, said: “We were disappointed
last year when we realised that the scheme
would not gain funding from the national
pot, but are delighted that the regional
committee has recognised the importance
of the Banbury scheme.
“I’d like to thank the committee and it’s
members for awarding this money against
other worthy schemes across the region.
We have worked hard with local councils,
residents and business partners to come
up with a suitable scheme for Banbury, and
we now hope to continue this work into the
future.
“There is still a lot of work to carry
out, and this scheme will still take several
years to implement, but after several months
of uncertainty we are now, once again, moving
in the right direction.”
Since Banbury flooded in 1998, the Environment
Agency has been working on a comprehensive
scheme to protect the town from flooding.
Some elements of the scheme have already
been completed.
The Environment Agency has built Moorfield
Brook Pumping Station, which protects more
than 300 houses in the Grimsbury area from
flooding, and Thames Water’s treatment works
is now protected by a defensive bund around
its land.
Five flood wardens have been recruited
in the town and 335 homes and businesses
have signed up to the Environment Agency’s
free flood warning service, but with over
470 properties at risk in Banbury there
is still work to do.
+ More
Trolley art helps to raise river awareness
Alexandra Wales - 18-Apr-2007 - Photo opportunity:
Environment Agency staff will be with the
sculptures in Park Square, Leeds on Monday,
April 23 from 14.00 to 15.30
Environment Agency staff in Leeds are hoping
that an artful use of rubbish will help
to raise people’s awareness of their impact
on our region’s rivers and streams.
They plan to use shopping trolleys which
have been dredged from rivers and transformed
into a water vole, bittern and a white-clawed
crayfish to remind people that our behaviour
has a major effect on wildlife living near
water.
They commissioned Brighton artist Ptolomy
Elrington, who started his career at Bradford
College with a degree in fine art and design,
to make the sculptures and staff intend
using them to draw in the crowds at exhibitions
and shows.
Environment Agency conservation officer
Elly Andison said: “Our rivers and canals
should be places that we can enjoy and where
wildlife can thrive. However, dumped rubbish
can turn an eye-catching stream into an
eyesore which is costly to clear up and
hazardous for everyone.
“These sculptures will help people to understand
some of the creatures that are living in
our waterways, and what they can do to help
protect our rare native species.”
One of the Environment Agency’s priorities
is to make sure that the region’s rivers,
streams and wetland areas remain connected
to each other so that wildlife can move
along the banks.
The sculptures will also give Environment
Agency staff the opportunity to encourage
communities to become involved in looking
after their local waterways.
People will have the chance to see the
sculptures at the White Rose Shopping Centre,
Leeds, on April 24 - 25, at The Deep in
Hull from June 4 – 8, and at the Leeds Parks
and Countryside Open Day at Roundhay Park
from August 16-19.
Notes to editors
Sculpture statistics:
The bittern is 180 centimetres high and
70cm wide
The water vole is two metres long, one metre
high and 85 centimetres wide
The white clawed crayfish is two metres
long and 80 centimetres high
No single organisation is responsible for
removing waste dumped near waterways. It
is frequently the responsibility of the
landowner who is unaware of their duty to
keep their land tidy and well managed.
Leeds City Council have set up a system
for dealing with abandoned shopping trolleys.
Anyone wanting to report an abandoned trolley
should phone the council on 0845 1240113.
People who need someone to take their rubbish
away can help cut down on fly-tipping by
ensuring that they use a waste company authorised
by the Environment Agency to collect and
carry waste. Find one on the Environment
Agency’s waste carriers register at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregisters
Alternatively ask to see a copy of the trader’s
waste carriers certificate and keep a copy
of the waste transfer note.
