Strategic flood risk management report published – Public Accounts Committee
Public Accounts Committee 25/3/15 ‘There are major risks to the sustainability of current levels of flood protection, which could impact on long-term value for money according to the Public Accounts Committee’s report published Wednesday 25 March 2015.
Richard Bacon MP comments “Some 5 million properties in England – a total of 1 in 6 properties – are at risk of flooding from coastal, river and surface water. In 2013, the risk of flooding from the coast was one of the highest priority risks on the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency have done a good job in improving the cost effectiveness of their approach to flood risk management. However, there are major risks to the sustainability of current levels of flood protection, which could impact on long-term value for money. For example, the current capital budget for flood risk management has been approved for a 6 year period, but the revenue budget settlement is agreed on an annual basis. This limits the Agency’s ability to take a long term approach to planning and procuring maintenance. The Agency’s new long term investment strategy should be used as a basis to negotiate future settlements.
The Agency has limited resources and must make difficult decisions about what it can and cannot fund, for example about some defences where it will need to reduce or stop maintenance. As of August 2014, around half of all asset systems were on a ‘minimum’ regime.’
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/news/report-strategic-flood-risk-management/
Guidance for local communities on food risk management – susdrain – The Community for Sustainable Drainage
susdrain ‘We’re delighted to let you know about new, free guidance that has been launched by CIRIA to provide support for those working in local flood risk management. The two guides, Communication and engagement in local flood risk management (C751) and Communication and engagement techniques in local flood risk management, companion guide (C752) bring together experiences, as well as ideas that have been tried and tested. The guides will be useful in identifying, engaging and working with people likely to be affected by flooding, or integral to its future management. It can be used at several stages of managing flood risk, from building engagement and awareness, and the preparation of a local flood risk management strategy or surface water management plan, through to recovery after an event, and benchmarking activities. Click here for more information.
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