Alexandra Wales - 25-Sep-2007
Staff from the Environment Agency will be
talking to residents in Wakefield and the
surrounding area next week who were affected
by the recent flooding.
The team, based in Leeds, are holding two
drop-in sessions on:
• Tuesday, October 2 at Balne Lane Community
Centre, Balne Lane, Wakefield
• Thursday, October 4 at Agbrigg and Belle
Vue Community Centre, Montague Street, Wakefield
Both sessions start at 3pm and run until
7pm.
The aim is to give residents an opportunity
to learn more about the flooding, and for
officers to gather information about how
it affected specific areas.
The meetings are part of a series of drop-ins
which are being organised by the Environment
Agency across Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.
Area flood risk manager Peter Holmes said:
“This is an opportunity for us to explain
our initial findings to residents about
the flooding in their area, what we have
been doing since the flooding and what the
plans are for the future.
“We also want people to tell us how the
flooding affected different homes and streets
because the more we know, the more we can
do to find ways of protecting them. We are
also urging residents to come along with
photographs, and any other documentation
which we can use to plot the path and the
times of the flooding more specifically.”
Drop-in sessions have already been held
in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Chesterfield,
and staff have had a very positive response
from people who have attended.
Peter said: “We have been able to sign
up more people for our free flood warning
service, and residents have provided us
with valuable information including photographs
and their personal experiences of the flood
which has helped us to put together a more
comprehensive picture of what happened.”
Over the 12 hours worst hit by rain on
June 25, it is estimated that 400 million
tonnes of rain fell across the affected
area of South and West Yorkshire, and Humberside
– this is equal to the water from 18 Olympic
swimming pools falling every second.
The Environment Agency can provide flood
protection from main rivers and designated
smaller watercourses.
It also issues flood warnings and watches
to people in certain flood risk areas who
have signed up to receive the service.
The Environment Agency has gauges on many
main rivers across Yorkshire which helps
officers to monitor water levels and the
likelihood of flooding.
Currently, there is a warning service available
to those living in the Ings Beck area, but
officers are looking to expand the service
to those living near Oakenshaw Beck.
The information supplied by residents is
crucial so that officers have the most accurate
figures to update and improve the warning
systems.
To find out whether you are eligible for
a flood warning contact our Floodline number
on 0845 988 1188.
+ More
Environment Agency presents early findings
of summer floods review
Head Office Press Office - 20-Sep-2007
Environment Agency presents early findings
of summer floods review
In light of the recent surface water flooding
faced by residents across the country, such
as in Hull, the Environment Agency has highlighted
the need for clarity of responsibility and
a strategic overview of all inland flood
risk, and improved coordination and action
on management of risk from all sources of
flood.
This is one of the early findings to come
out of the Environment Agency’s work on
reviewing the summer 2007 floods.
Following a meeting today of the Environment
Agency Board, Chairman Sir John Harman said
responsibility for surface water drainage
was split between many different authorities
and not enough attention had been given
to managing urban flooding in a coordinated
way.
"Many people were flooded by rivers
during June and July, but five times as
many homes and businesses in place like
Hull were flooded by overflowing drains
and sewers as were affected by river flooding.
These areas were overwhelmed by the sheer
amount of rainfall," he said.
"Urban flooding is particularly challenging
to manage partly because several different
organisations are responsible for different
aspects of the problem.
"As the Hull Interim Report outlined,
there needs to be one single national body
to have responsibility for setting a strategic
framework to understand, mitigate and manage
urban flood risk."
Sir John Harman said the national role
could involve ensuring effective frameworks,
tools and advice for surface water management
and water company plans for sewerage and
drainage were prepared to an acceptable
standard. But local authorities would be
the lead authority for the local coordination
of drainage and surface water issues, working
with their water companies, developers and
the Environment Agency.
"However, it would not be workable
to have one national organisation wholly
responsible for everything to do with flooding
because of the huge range of activities
involved before, during and after a flood
- like flood forecasting, flood defences,
public safety and evacuation, emergency
response, and social and economic support
and clean-up in the aftermath of floods.
"What is important is that each organisation
understands its role and when responding
to an emergency, as we saw during the recent
floods, there is effective coordination
between everyone concerned. This can be
achieved without having an expensive and
unwieldy structural solution."
The Board agreed that other issues highlighted
so far in the review of the summer 2007
floods needed to be taken forward, including:
• Strengthening the relevant parts of the
building regulations to include measures
for flood resistance (preventing water entering)
and resilience (reducing damage and aiding
recovery when water does enter)
• Encouraging the insurance industry to
use conditions or reduce premiums for those
who install resistance and resilience measures
• Reviewing and increasing funding for
flood defences
• Amending the draft Climate Change Bill
to lay a duty on critical infrastructure
operators and providers of critical public
services to take account of the needs of
adapting to climate change.
"These issues have been around for
some time. They need to be tackled to improve
flood risk management outcomes for people
and the environment in the face of climate
change," Sir John Harman said.
The Environment Agency’s review of the
summer 2007 floods will be completed by
the end of 2007 and will feed into the Independent
Government Review.
