05/07/2005 - On 5 July
2005 the Environment Agency launches the final
report of its River Severn Catchment Flood
Management Plan. Also available is the draft
of the Fluvial River Severn Flood Risk Management
Strategy, which is open to consultation. Both
of these reports contribute to an integrated
flood management strategy for the River Severn.
Work on these reports began after the Autumn
2000 floods, which caused extensive damage
and distress in communities along the River
Severn. The Environment Agency, supported
by the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Assembly,
recognised the need to take a strategic approach
to flood management on the river, rather than
just looking at individual towns and communities.
In response to the floods and growing concern
about the effects of climate change, we carried
out two studies:
The River Severn Catchment Flood Management
Plan (Severn CFMP) and
The Fluvial Severn Flood Risk Management
Strategy
The Severn CFMP is a pilot study as it was
one of the first of its kind to be done in
England and Wales. Today’s final report represents
the first stage in a three-stage process.
The study covers the whole of the River Severn
catchment, including its tributaries, from
its source in the Welsh mountains down to
Gloucester. It looks at flood risk on a catchment-wide
basis over a 50-year time-scale. We used computer
models of the river to get a broad understanding
of the size, nature and distribution of flood
risk and how it may be affected by future
changes in climate or land use. Novel solutions
are investigated alongside more traditional
approaches, to help inform long term, sustainable
decisions.
The second stage of the process is the draft
Fluvial Severn Flood Risk Management Strategy,
also launched today. This draft report is
open to consultation and comments are welcome.
It looks in more detail at options to deliver
the policies recommended in the Severn CFMP.
It covers only the River Severn itself, not
its tributaries, which may be the subject
of further studies. Once again, it uses the
latest technology to test the effectiveness
of different options. This stage led to the
identification of preferred options.
The third stage, a thorough study of each
preferred option, will begin once the final
strategy has been published, after consultation
is finished.
Project Manager, Loreta Adams, says: "The
standard of protection afforded to some of
the worst-affected communities is now higher
than it was in 2000. We have constructed new
flood defences in Shrewsbury and Bewdley and
improved existing ones, for example in Llandrinio
and Sedgeberrow. We also led the way with
successful trials of innovative temporary
defence barriers in Shrewsbury, Ironbridge
and Worcester.
"But engineering alone cannot protect
people and the environment from all floods.
We need to balance our investment in defences
with efforts to develop innovative ways of
managing floods, so that we can minimise the
risk of flooding into the future. This is
what these two major pieces of work will help
us to do."
All comments on the Fluvial River Severn
Flood Risk Management Strategy are welcome
and will be considered when preparing the
final report. Comments, in writing, should
be sent to Loreta Adams, Environment Agency,
Olton Court, 10 Warwick Road, Olton, Solihull,
B92 7HX (e-mail: loreta.adams@environment-agency.gov.uk)
by 30 September 2005.
A summary of the Severn CFMP and the Fluvial
River Severn flood risk management strategy
will be displayed on our website. The reports
can be viewed at our local offices and copies
on CD can also be obtained from Loreta Adams
at the address above.
