Agenda item

To receive a report of the Cabinet Member for Communities providing a further update of the work that has been undertaken since the flooding at Christmas 2013 / New Year 2014.

(Item8 –Report of theCabinet Memberfor Communities,Mr Mike Hilland CorporateDirector for Growth,Environment and Transport, Barbara Cooper)

Cabinet receiveda reportproviding anupdate onprogress beingmade todeliver the 17  recommendations  in  the  Christmas  /  New  Year  2013-14  Storms&  Floods – Lessons  Learnt  report  thatwas  endorsed  by  Cabinet  on  7th  July  2014.  It  also providedan updateon newdevelopments relatingto the implementationof sustainable drainage.

The CabinetMember for Communities,Mr Mike Hillintroduced thereport.   He remindedmembers ofthe severityof thestorms andflooding whichhad occurred overthe Christmasand NewYear of2013/14 anddescribed thepressure that the conditions had placed on the Council and its partners’ emergency planning and resiliencefunctions.  Hemaintained that hewas proudof theresponse butwas keen to usethe experienceto find areasin whichimprovements couldbe madeand asa result Cabinethad receiveda reportin July2014 recommending17 areasfor action. The reportfor considerationwould providean updatefor memberson progress toward those recommendations endorsed in July.

Paul Crick,Director of Environment,Planning andEnforcement wasin attendanceto speak tothe itemhe remindedmembers that thefirst 12 recommendationsendorsed by Cabinetin Julyhad relatedto KCCand partnerresponses andrecommendations, 13-17 hadrelated to floodrisk managementand flooddefences.

In relation to recommendations 1-12he reportedsome ofthe workthat had beenundertaken, in particular:

                  i.        KCCdirector ledgroup hadbeen establishedto reviewstaff training needs and availability arrangements and 76 training sessions had already beencompleted bystaff.  Tocomplement thetraining activitya reviewof emergency responseroles withinKCC hadbeen undertakento ensure that there were sufficient reservists attimes of emergency.

                 ii.        KentResilience Forumhad establisheda multi-agency,Kent-wide group chairedby theEnvironment Agencyto facilitate improvedcommunication between organisations across the County.

                iii.        The Strategic Recovery Co-ordination Group, of which he was Chair, continued to facilitatethe sharingof best practiceand assuranceof KCC and partnerorganisationplans forwinter readinessand withthe same aims, the annual seminar would be held on 14 November 2014.

                iv.        Areview ofall KCCwinter plansand thoseof partneragencies hadbeen undertaken and revised versions published online.

                 v.        Community engagement activityhad been undertaken tostrengthen resilience within‘at risk’localities and15,000 copiesof the leaflet‘What shouldI doin anemergency?’ hadbeen distributedto appropriate areasof the county.

                vi.        Work  continued with  the  Environment  Agency  to  secure  partnership funding todeliver priority flood protection schemes.

              vii.        Sustainabledrainage powers,to ensurethat newdevelopments absorbed theirown waterusage, hadnot yet beendevolved tolocal governmentand negotiations continuedto guaranteethat, should thatdelegation occur,the cost  of  long  term  maintenance  would  not  be  unrecognised  in  the agreement.

MarkDouch ofthe EnvironmentAgency wasin attendanceto speakto theitem, he reported the following:

      i.        Thatthe constructionprogramme currentlyunderway inKent wouldcost in excessof £30millionand wouldcover 35schemes intotal.   Asa resultof these improvementsit washoped that bythe endof 20143286 properties wouldbe reclassifiedout of the‘high’ floodrisk categoryto much lowerrisk categories.

    ii.        That2600 peoplehad signedup to‘flood warningsdirect’; thecommunication scheme to alertresidents to potentialand actualflooding andwithin the communities effected last Christmas, coverage was approximately 90%, compared toan average of 66% nationally.

   iii.        Anew floodwarning servicefor Medwayareas would‘go live’in October 2014,the system wouldnow workon thebasis of12 floodwarning zonesas opposed to theprevious 7and asa resultwould bemore preciseand target residentsmore effectively.   In additionthere wouldbe anew servicefor Hildenborough where 42 flood wardens were now in place.

   iv.        Anadditional 15sites hadbeen surveyedto identifywhere additionalactivity could be undertaken in the event ofa flood.

    v.        All11,000 floodrisk assetshad beeninspected andas aresult 29urgent repairs hadbeen undertaken.  All assetswould receive‘good’ statusby the endof October 2014with theexception of Bewley’s Weirin Tonbridgeand Sandwich  Town  Centre  Sea  Defences  which  would  be  completed  in December 2014 andJanuary 2015respectively.   Untilthat timemitigating actions  had  been  undertaken  and  the  same  level  ofprotection  would  be achieved by these temporary methods until work was complete.

In response to questions from the Leader, officers reported the following:

CapitalProgramme

MrDouchreported that a6 yearCapital Programmehad beencreated andsubmitted to DEFRAfor approval, theprogramme hada currentestimated valueof £123million. Full   details   of   the   programme   would   be   announced   shortly   following   an announcement from the Government Minister.  The funding allocation model was bid forand awarded on a needs based formula.

Non-returnvalves andfailed drainage

A‘Kent Floodgroup’ madeup ofall partners,including theutility companieshad been establishedand anaction plancreated.  Thisissue featuredon theplan and would be part ofthe work undertaken by the group.

Dredging ofrivers

That dredgingwas onlyone solutionto floodrisk, itsnatural consequencewas improved conveyance and it was only appropriate in circumstances where it was not likelyto causeflooding elsewhere.  A regularmaintenance programmeof dredging was agreed and would take place between October and January when river levels wouldbe seasonallylower.   TheEnvironment Agencywas responsiblefor the dredging of main rivers and the Internal Drainage Boards forIDB watercourses; forall other ‘ordinary’water coursesthe dredgingresponsibility laywith theland owner. Thepowers of enforcementrelating to dredgingon certainwatercourses weresplit between theEA, IDB and KCCand eachhad powersto servenotice indifferent circumstances.

MaxTant, Flood RiskManager, KCC,reported thatKCC didexercise thosepowers and alsoencouraged theIDB to doso, whereit wasappropriate.   Workwas undertaken regularly with landowners toensure responsible practice.

Following further comments made and questions raised by members, officers confirmed the following:

      i.        MrDouchreported that loudhailers hadbeen consideredas ameans to furtherimproving floodwarnings, andhad potentialto cover somesmaller areas.        Howeverthe deploymenttime forthe vehiclewas oftenslow and accessibilitydifficult resultingin lowcoverage comparedto the floodwarning system which accessed landlines, mobile phones and e-mails.

    ii.        StuartBeaumont reportedthat communitywardens, floodwardens andmany other volunteerswould beutilised to communicate postflooding messages regarding power availability toresidents in affected areas.

   iii.        Allhouses atrisk hadbeen identifiedand, inadvance ofsevere weather, wouldbe visitedby volunteersand staff tooffer practical adviceregarding preparation.

   iv.        Thatat theKent resilienceForm andthe Kentwide floodgroup describedby Mr Douch, assurancehad beensought andreceived fromutility companies thatcommunication would be improved in the future.

Itwas RESOLVED that the report be NOTED