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1.
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INTRODUCTION
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Purpose
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1.1
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This policy statement has been prepared by North East Lindsey Drainage Board to provide a public statement of the Board's approach to its management of flood
risk and water levels in its area.
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Background
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1.2
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The Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has policy responsibility for flood and
coastal defence in England. However, delivery is the responsibility of a number of flood and
coastal defence "operating authorities" which includes the North East Lindsey Drainage Board.
The Board maintained infrastructure is shown in Para 3.2 below.
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1.3
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The Government has published a policy aim and three objectives for flood and coastal defence (1).
To ensure a more certain delivery of the aim and objectives by the individual operating authorities
the Government has published a series of high level targets (2). The first target requires each
operating authority to publish a policy statement setting out their plans for delivering the
Government's policy aim and objectives in their area. This will include an assessment of the
risk of flooding and coastal erosion in their area, and what plans they have to reduce that risk.
This policy statement fulfils that requirement. We are providing a copy to the Department of the Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs, and the Environment Agency and local authorities in the district. Copies are also available from the
Board's Offices at High Street, Ulceby, North Lincolnshire, DN39 6TG.
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2.
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HOW THE BOARD WILL DELIVER THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY AIM AND OBJECTIVES
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2.1
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North East Lindsey Drainage Board supports the Government's aim and objectives for
flood and coastal defence. Our policy and approach will be consistent with them.
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Policy Aim
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To reduce the risk to people and the developed and natural environment from flooding and coastal
erosion by encouraging the provision of technically, environmentally and economically sound and
sustainable defence measures.
Section 3 below sets out our plans for reducing or managing the flood risk in the Board's District.
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Objective (a): To encourage the provision of adequate and cost effective flood
warning systems.
| - | the Board will assist the Environment Agency wherever possible in its provision of
adequate and cost effective flood warning systems integrating with the Agency in
response to flood emergencies and participating as necessary in exercises to develop
and test emergency response procedures. |
Objective (b): To encourage the provision of adequate economically, technically and
environmentally sound and sustainable flood and coastal defences.
- In meeting its obligations the Board will consider its activities within the wider natural and developed environment seeking to ensure the avoidance of any adverse impact. It will equally co-operate with other drainage authorities and organisations to ensure adverse impacts on the drainage district do no arise as a result of other activities.
- The Board will carry out its maintenance and improvements works in an efficient and cost effective way and where appropriate use best practice and assessing appropriately qualified advice when necessary.
- To achieve this the Board will encourage the provision of adequate, economically, technically and environmentally sound and sustainable flood protection and water level management measures and seek to control that development which could increase the risk of flooding.
- Within the drainage district potentially all the area is at some risk to flooding and the Board will seek to retain this risk at acceptable levels through appropriate improvements and the implementation of a sound maintenance strategy. They will also seek to ensure that the Environment Agency maintains at a satisfactory standard any flood defences which also afford protection to the district.
Objective (c): To discourage inappropriate development in areas at risk from flooding.
| - | The potential impact on flood risk through future development in the Drainage District, or in the wider catchment draining to the District, is fully recognised by the Board and it will take an active role in the assessment of structure planning, local plans and individual applications to ensure flood risk is not increased. Where appropriate the Board will secure from developers, and other direct beneficiaries, contributions to cover the cost of both immediate and longer term works necessary in ensuring that any potential increase in flood risk is removed. |
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3.
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FLOODING RISKS IN THE BOARD'S AREA
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3.1
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As mentioned in Section 2, the entire drainage district is at some risk to flooding. That risk is
substantially controlled however, although varying standards of protection apply. The
following are the key details of the District:
| Catchment Area draining to and including the District |
47,000 ha |
| Total area of the District |
11,736 ha |
| Area of Agricultural Land |
8,036 ha |
| Area of Residential Property |
2,300 ha |
| Area of Industrial Property |
1,400 ha |
| Sites of Environmental Interest:- |
SSSI's
Barton and Barrow Clay Pits
Humber Flats and Marshes
North Killingholme Haven Pits
Far Ings Drain and Nature Reserve
Nature Reserves
Rosper Road Pits
Cleethorpes Country Park |
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3.2
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Board Maintained Infrastructure
| Pumping Stations |
6 No |
| Other Water Level Structures |
6 No |
| Watercourses |
187 km |
| Critical Watercourses |
40 km |
| Raised Embankments |
3 km |
| Passing through or adjacent to the District are the following assets maintained by: |
| (i) Environment Agency: |
| Main Rivers |
44 km |
| Tidal Flood Defences |
26 km |
| Embankment Watercourses |
23 km |
| Tidal Doors |
14 No |
| (ii) Associated British Ports: |
| Tidal Flood Defences |
3 km |
| Tidal Doors |
1 No |
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3.3
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Regulation of Activities
The Board will exercise as required its powers under the Land Drainage Act 1991 and its Byelaws to ensure that activities in and alongside its drainage system do not reduce flood protection standards and unnecessarily increase flood risk.
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3.4
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Standard of Protection
Through the operation and maintenance of the pumping stations and the channel system the Board seek to maintain a general standard capable to providing flood protection to agricultural land and developed areas of 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 years respectively. This likely return period can not be taken literally and should be considered as a chance of some overspilling from the system taking place each year as being 5% and 1% respectively.
Areas which are more vulnerable due to the particular local circumstances are in parts of the East Halton Skitter catchment. The catchment is agricultural and the standard does and will continue to lead to flooding.
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3.5
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Management of Flood Risks
The Board monitor the condition of its pumping stations and watercourses, particularly those designated as critical, overspilling from which could affect property. Consistent with the established need a routine maintenance programme is in place to ensure that the condition of the assets is commensurate with the standards of protection which are sought. Where standards are not at the policy level, improvement works, where they can be demonstrated to meet with MAFF criteria, will be considered and undertaken as appropriate.
The Board welcome from its agricultural ratepayers, special levy councils and members of the public any comments on the condition of its system which could lead to any increased flood risk.
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3.6
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Publicity
The Board will proceed to promote the need for works in its District and create a rational understanding among people who live and work in it as to what the flood risk is and the efforts made to control it. They will also seek to achieve directly and through local councils a culture within which the watercourses are seen as vital to controlling flood risk, whilst providing an interesting aquatic habit and dissuade abuse of them through dumping waste or obstructing flows in other ways. The Board will advise the Environment Agency, North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, West Lindsey District Council and the Parish Councils of any works programmed other than those undertaken as an annual requirement.
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4.
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ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES
The North East Lindsey Drainage Board has nature conservation duties under the Land Drainage Act 1991, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and as a competent authority under the Conservation (Natural Habitats C) Regulation 1994, The Board will fulfill these in a positive way.
Much of the Board's watercourse maintenance work of vegetation control and de-silting is a vital and routine requirement. Whilst inevitably some short term impact will arise, this management is essential also to maintain the diverse aquatic habitat in the district. The Board maintain a significant proportion of the total watercourse length in the district, the remainder being the responsibility of the Environment Agency and riparian landowners.
When carrying out works, be it maintenance or improvement, and consistent with the need maintain satisfactory flood protection standards, we will aim to -
- avoid any unnecessary or long term damage to all the natural habitats;
- ensure no net loss of habitats covered by Biodiversity Action Plans, monitoring any gains and losses and reporting annually to the Environment Agency;
- take appropriate opportunities to enhance habitats.
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5.
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REVIEW OF THIS POLICY STATEMENT
North East Lindsey Drainage Board will review this Policy Statement within a period not extending beyond 5 years.
References
1) Strategy for Flood and Coastal Defence in England and Wales DEFRA and Welsh Office, September 1993.
2) High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence Operating Authorities and Elaboration of the Environment
Agency's Flood Defence Supervisory Duty DEFRA, November 1999.
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This Policy Statement was produced and approved at a Meeting of the Board held on 31st January 2006.
