National
Press Office - 16-Jun-2008 - Green and lean
IT is a top priority for newly appointed
Simon Pitt, who takes over at the Environment
Agency as Head of Corporate Information
Services (CIS).
“The Environment Agency
has made some great progress over the past
few years improving IT systems,” said Simon
Pitt.
“However as the environmental
stakes have got higher, the Environment
Agency is under pressure to deliver more,
better and faster IT in order to keep apace
of the changing environment. I’m excited
at having the chance to drive this change
forward.”
Simon, who joins the
Environment Agency having worked at the
Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), will be
responsible for overseeing teams based in
England and Wales who provide IT systems
and support to its 12,000 workforce. Prior
to joining the ODA, where he was responsible
for establishing the IT to develop the infrastructure
for the 2012 Olympics, Simon was Director
of Information Management at London Underground
Limited.
Simon continued: “The
Environment Agency has set itself the challenge
to deliver the best IT in government. If
the IT isn’t working then the organisation
isn’t either, which for the Environment
Agency can mean the environment isn’t being
protected.
“Therefore I’m keen
to transfer knowledge and skills I’ve gained
while working for organisations like the
ODA where I had to work under pressure to
meet tight deadlines and deal with new and
diverse people.”
CIS is currently undergoing
significant change with the tendering process
underway for most environmentally sustainable
‘green’ government IT contract ever. Simon
is no stranger to dealing with major change.
At London Underground he was responsible
for a major programme of technology-led
change, which included providing real time
travel information across the Underground
network.
Simon adds: “Team work
at London Underground was essential – we
all had to work together to ensure that
when disruptions occurred appropriate and
timely action was taken to minimise the
very immediate impact on millions of customers.”
Corporate Information
Services (CIS) is the part of the Environment
Agency that provides the organisation’s
IT services. As well as day-to-day IT support
services to departments and individual staff,
CIS also develops strategy and supports
business change programmes to ensure it
meets the Environment Agency’s present and
future IT needs.
+ More
Environment Agency thanks
Dymchurch residents
Georgina Harris - 23-Jun-2008
- The Environment Agency and the Dymchurch
Parish Council are inviting the local community
to join them on Tuesday 1 July 2008 at the
new Dymchurch sea defences in Kent.
At 11am, residents can
come along to the giant rock on the promenade
to hear a few words from Environment Agency
Kent & East Sussex Area Manager Peter
Midgley and chairman of the Dymchurch Parish
Council, Councillor Tom Gibbs. There will
also be the opportunity to visit the Environment
Agency trailer for information about how
to adapt to climate change. The trailer
will be available until 2pm and the first
one hundred people to visit will receive
a World Environment Day 2008 re-usable bag,
designed by Hemingway designs exclusively
for the Environment Agency.
This phase of Dymchurch’s
flagship flood protection scheme was completed
ahead of schedule this spring. Before the
Environment Agency completed this essential
work, the original defences were at the
end of their life. They were extremely vulnerable
to weakening and at risk of major failure
in stormy conditions.
The Environment Agency
has spent approximately £31million
to do this current phase of work and the
sea defences now offer improved flood protection
to nearly two and a half kilometres of frontage
from Dymchurch Redoubt to Martello Tower
23.
Phase two, from Martello
23 to High Knocke, is expected to start
this winter and is likely to take approximately
two and a half to three years to complete.
When the project is complete, the defences
will provide protection for nearly 2.5 thousand
residential properties. These defences are
one part of the Environment Agency’s draft
strategy for managing flood risk from Folkestone
to Cliff End, which is currently out for
public consultation. Information regarding
the recommendations for managing flood risk
along this stretch of the Kent coast will
also be available to those who visit the
trailer on Tuesday.
The Environment Agency’s
Peter Midgley said:
“Sea defences on this scale inevitably cause
some disruption so I’d like to thank all
residents and those who use the beach for
their patience and understanding whilst
the work was going on.
“Flooding can devastate lives and livelihoods
and whilst we can’t prevent all flooding
from happening all the time, by building
defences like this we can reduce the likelihood.
Dymchurch is very low-lying with communities
located along the coast so this huge scheme
is essential to help reduce the risk of
flooding to people who are living and working
here.”
World Environment Day
is a United Nations Environment Programme
event founded in 1972 that takes place on
the 5 June every year. This year the Environment
Agency is encouraging people to think about
preparing for climate change as well as
trying to stop or slow it down.
+ More
Environment Agency welcomes
findings of Pitt review
National Press Office
- 25-Jun-2008 - The Environment Agency today
warmly welcomed Sir Michael Pitt’s comprehensive
final review into the 2007 summer floods
as a significant contribution to managing
the future flood risk in England and Wales.
In welcoming the report,
Chief Executive Paul Leinster said the Environment
Agency had highlighted the need for further
clarity on the responsibilities for flooding
from surface water drains, infrastructure
protection, more publicly available information
on flood risk, and additional resources
to help adapt to climate change as key issues
to be swiftly taken forward.
“Sir Michael’s report
puts the spotlight back on the need for
the country to be prepared and able to respond
to the devastating impacts of flooding.
He covers a wide range of topics – many
directly related to our work – and all of
which are essential to better protecting
people and the environment from flooding
into the future,” Paul Leinster said.
“In particular, we’re
pleased with Sir Michael Pitt’s confidence
that the Environment Agency is the right
organisation to be given a strategic overview
role for all types of flood risk in England.
We now need the Floods Bill to give us the
proper tools and legislation to finish the
job. Urgent action is needed now to clarify
our role and that of the local authorities,
and to explore the new resources that will
be needed to do this job.”
The Environment Agency
has highlighted progress over the past 12
months in a number of areas that are a focus
in Sir Michael Pitt’s report:
Flood forecasting and
flood warning – The number of people receiving
a flood warning via the Floodline Warnings
Direct service has increased by 29% (73,000
people), and from July, the Environment
Agency and the Met Office will pilot a new
service to forecast and warn emergency services
and critical infrastructure providers about
extreme rainfall which could lead to surface
water flooding.
Strategic overview and Floods and Water
Bill – A clear strategic overview role for
all types of flood risk will be given to
the Environment Agency in England, and the
new Floods and Water Bill will be drafted
to reflect this. The strategic overview
role will also assist the Environment Agency
in working closer with others to ensure
that surface water flooding is better managed,
and the Environment Agency is working to
provide a predictive indication of “hot
spots” that are naturally vulnerable to
surface water flooding.
Data sharing – The Environment Agency has
been further developing its close relationship
with the Met Office and through access to
110 of the Met Office’s real time rain gauges,
coupled with its own network, the Environment
Agency is now developing more detailed river
forecasting models, leading to more timely
flood warnings being issued and better decisions
by flood forecasters.
Reservoir safety legislation – Work is underway
to make flood plans available to emergency
planners about the flood risk from dam failures.
“It’s also important that the real risk
of climate change has been acknowledged
by Sir Michael Pitt. Recent flood events
have highlighted the urgency of adapting
to the potential effects of climate change
to protect lives, property, the economy
and the environment. Now that the Government’s
Foresight report has been reviewed, and
it’s clear that we are going to face less
predictable weather and more extreme events
such as flash flooding, investment in flood
risk management should continue to rise
to keep up with the changing climate,” Paul
Leinster said.
“This report is comprehensive
and well researched, and overall we’re pleased
it’s raised issues of importance and ways
forward, for not only the Environment Agency,
but for local authorities, utilities and
emergency responders.
“It’s also encouraging
that the report reinforces the importance
of individuals in taking responsibility
for protecting themselves and their properties.
We can’t stop the rain but we can all work
together to reduce the impacts of flooding,”
Paul Leinster said.
People can check their
flood risk and find advice on how to prepare
for flooding at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
To sign up to the Environment Agency’s free
Floodline Warnings Direct, call 0845 988
1188.
