Maria
Goodall - 8-May-2008 - Televisions, fridges
and cookers were just some of the discarded
rubbish the Environment Agency removed from
the River Cherwell to reduce the risk of
flooding in Banbury.
Bikes, motorcycles ,
scooters and shopping trolleys were also
removed during the work, which took place
along a stretch of the river from Spiceball
Leisure Centre to the Tramway Industrial
Estate.
Environment Agency officers
used boats to clear the waterway and collect
the debris , which filled three large skips.
The crew also removed fallen trees and branches,
which had become caught on the rubbish.
Maintenance work along
the Cherwell was carried out as part of
the Environment Agency’s annual programme
of works to reduce the risk of flooding
by clearing blockages such as trees and
rubbish from the main channel of the watercourse.
This also includes trimming back of trees
and other vegetation which, if overgrown,
can also cause blockages.
Richard Dale, an Operations
Delivery team leader at the Environment
Agency, said: “ The things that people will
dispose of in the river never ceases to
amaze me - we have pulled everything but
the kitchen sink out of the River Cherwell
this week.
“Not only is this illegal,
but it can cause blockages, increase the
risk of flooding and can cause real problems
for local wildlife, as well as being unsightly.”
“While we do have powers
to carry out clearance work, we would also
urge all riparian owners to ensure that
the watercourses running through their land
are clear of any potential water obstructions
to keep the risk of flooding to a minimum.
"Parts of Banbury
flooded during the July 2007 floods and
the town was at risk again in January. While
last July was an exceptional event, this
kind of maintenance work will have a real
impact during low order events, such as
those in January."
The Environment Agency
urges every household and business to check
their flood risk by calling Floodline on
0845 9881188 or putting their postcode into
the online flood map at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood
+ More
Environment Agency welcomes
committee report findings
Emma Dowling - 8-May-2008
- The Environment Agency today welcomed
the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Committee report on Flooding, which highlighted
a number of issues to help continue and
improve flood risk management in the future.
Barbara Young, Chief
Executive of the Environment Agency, said:
“We welcome the EFRA
committee’s Flooding report – it’s a useful
analysis and highlights a number of issues
that we have identified in our internal
review of the summer floods as priorities
for Government, the Environment Agency,
local authorities and other bodies.
“We agree with the committee’s
report that there’s a real need for the
Environment Agency in England to be given
a clear overview role for urban flooding
from all sources, and in a position to provide
guidance and advice to local authorities,
so they can lead on managing surface water
flood risk at a local level.
“The report also rightly
highlights the need for the Environment
Agency to continue to focus resources on
building and maintaining river and coastal
flood defences. We saw during the summer
floods that these assets performed extremely
well and protected more than 100,000 homes
and businesses in many areas.
“The summer's floods
tested the Environment Agency, but there’s
no doubt that we have come through better
equipped to deal with future events and
tackle the challenging impacts of climate
change.
“The committee’s findings
are also broadly aligned with Sir Michael
Pitt’s interim review, and since being published
in December, we have been working on the
review’s most urgent recommendations that
require action by us, such as a move to
automatically receive flood warnings from
us, rather than an opt-in approach.”
Barbara Young said overall,
the EFRA committee had produced a positive
report that would feed into Sir Michael
Pitt’s recommendations, and the Environment
Agency looked forward to the final review
from Sir Michael Pitt being completed in
the summer.
+ More
Environment Agency unveils
Dymchurch flood defences ahead of schedule
Lucy Harding - 9-May-2008
- The first part of a £60 million
sea defence project that will protect nearly
two and a half thousand homes in Kent will
be officially opened today (Friday 9 May
2008) by the Rt Hon Michael Howard QC MP
This phase of a flagship
flood protection scheme in Dymchurch, Kent
was originally due to be finished in the
summer but work has been completed ahead
of schedule. The spring opening means that
access to the beach will be available well
in advance of the tourist season.
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. The defences include 342,000 tonnes
of rock that act to absorb the impact of
powerful waves, and a new reinforced concrete
sea wall. The Environment Agency has also
widened the promenade, and built ten sets
of steps to connect the beach to the promenade.
Peter Midgley, Environment
Agency Area Manager for Kent and East Sussex
said:
“We are very pleased
to have the Rt Hon. Michael Howard here
to officially open the flood defences on
this stretch of the Dymchurch seafront and
would like to thank him for his support.
“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.
“Sea defences on this
scale inevitably cause some disruption so
I’d also like to thank all residents and
those who use the beach for their patience
and understanding whilst the work was going
on. We are pleased to re-open the beach
but would like to remind people that the
rocks are there to reduce flood risk and
not for climbing on.”
The Rt Hon. Michael
Howard said:
“I am delighted that
this work has now been completed. It will
greatly reassure those who have lived with
the risk and danger of flooding for far
too long."
This is the first of
two sections of defences to be constructed
along the Dymchurch frontage. 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
2,471 residential properties, 927 caravans,
three holiday camps, 7,672 Hectares of agricultural
land, 113 Hectares of Romney Marsh, the
A259 trunk road and four Martello towers.
