Agenda item

(1)          The Chairman informed the Committee of correspondence from Mrs Brown, Chairman of Yalding PC giving her apologies for the meeting. She had written to say that the Flood Warning Areas had been launched, the communities were all working together,  the Flood Warden scheme had been launched (Yalding PC had its own bespoke system). She, like a number of other Parish Councillors had acquired a power solar-powered mobile phone charger.  Personal Emergency Plans were now being encouraged in addition to the Community Plans.

(2)       Mr Crick referred to the report to Cabinet on 13 October 2014 (Appendix 1) which was an update to the more detailed report which had been endorsed by Cabinet on 7 July 2014.

(3)       Mr Crick said that a series of internal and partnership debriefs had been carried out and that management structures had been established to implement the recommendations.  KCC itself has set up a cross-directorate Corporate Resilience Steering Group (which he chaired).  The object was to ensure that sufficient staff were available, trained and placed on a rota to cover any flooding emergency.   The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) had established a Pan-Kent Flood Group chaired by the EA.   The very recent KRF seminar in East Malling had covered a whole range of issues which would be taken forward by the Kent Resilience Team.

(4)       The Chairman said that he had attended the seminar. He agreed that it had been very rewarding and that it had imparted a great of information. He asked how this information was to be disseminated to those who had not attended.  Mr Crick replied that this would be one of the tasks of the KRF.

(5)        Mr Flannery confirmed that every partner agency had been represented at the seminar.  Each of the partners would be expected to ensure that it communicated the information internally.  

(6)       Mr Crick went on to say that there had been comprehensive reviews of the existing emergency plans, followed by their republication.  A number of training sessions and exercises had been held during the year and 15,000 copies of the newly-published booklet “What should I do in an emergency?”  had been distributed. Updated information was now available on all the partner websites.  A series of “flood fairs” had been held across the County and a far greater number of people were now signed up to the EA’s “Flood Warnings Direct.”  The rise had been very significant, seeing an increase from 25 to 90% in flood risk areas.

(7)       Mr Crick went on to say that KCC, Maidstone BC and Tonbridge and Malling BC had contributed funding to a feasibility and design study for a Leigh flooding storage area.  This scheme was being progressed with the support of the EA. 

(8)       Dr Eddy referred to Recommendation 9. He noted that work was being progressed “over the coming months” and asked which months were being referred to.  He also asked in respect of Recommendation 16 how much the bid for European Funding was for and how close this bid was to submission.

(9)       Mr Crick replied that, in respect of Recommendation 9, most of the websites had been updated, whilst the Flood Warnings Direct system was now far more widely used by local residents.

(10)     Mr Tant replied to Dr Eddy’s question on Recommendation 16 by saying that the Coastal Communities Project was looking to expand on its current remit. There was also a potential project for the River Beult. One of the criteria for European Funding was the establishment of partnerships, so the EA was leading on the process of identifying appropriate partner organisations.  KCC was also looking at developing water resource projects which would have local flooding benefits.

(11)     Mr Tant added that KCC was looking at other funding as well. An example of this was that KCC had put forward two bids to Local Growth Fund 2 (the Leigh Flood Storage Area and a scheme at East Peckham).  All bidding deadlines would be met providing that appropriate partners could be identified.

(12)     Mr Vye said that the EA’s report on flooding in the Medway Valley was due to be published by the end of November 2014, together with an independent audit of the EA’s performance during the winter of 2013/14.

(13)     Mr Vye added that he had asked the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport to list the measures already put in place by agencies, including KCC, to prevent flooding in each of the locations where it occurred last winter, and to also list those measures judged to be essential to prevent flooding in each of these locations. He had also asked which locations were considered to be important but for which the funding had not been identified, and for an assessment of risk of flooding, in terms of red/amber/green ratings, in each of them. He had received the response that it was extremely difficult to categorise these locations in this manner. The Cabinet Member had also provided a list which did not match that in the Annex to the report.

(14)     Mr Harwood replied that he would be able to respond to Mr Vye’s points at the next meeting.

(15)     Mr Crick confirmed that there had been a second Appendix to the Cabinet report which had not been sent out with the agenda papers for this meeting. This Appendix had consisted of a list of 10 strategic flood defence schemes requiring partnership contributions at a total cost of some £113m (£26m of this to be provided by partners), protecting 922 businesses and 9,235 properties.  It was agreed that this Annex would be sent to all Members of the Committee with the minutes.

(16)     Mr Rogers said that out of the hundreds of properties in Tonbridge and Malling which had been flooded in 2013/14, 80 were still uninhabitable.  This demonstrated the long term nature of each major flooding event.

(17)     Mr Pearman said that there was a strong case for approaching the Housing Associations in respect of their responsibilities to protect their tenants from flooding.  Mr Flannery confirmed that this had already occurred and that active steps were being taken to address the needs of vulnerable people in social housing.

(18)     Mr Tapp referred to paragraph 23 of the report to Cabinet and asked for an update on the new consultation process in respect of Sustainable Drainage. 

(19)     Mr Tant said that Defra had released a new round of consultation on SuDs shortly after the previous meeting of the Committee.  This was now looking at delivery exclusively through the planning system rather than by lead authorities such as KCC, as had previously been the case.   This consultation had now closed and Defra’s response was now awaited.  KCC had misgivings about the proposal because it did not appear to address the long term maintenance problem.

(20)     Mr Tant agreed to provide a copy of KCC’s response to the consultation, together with an update on this before the next meeting of the Committee.

(21)     RESOLVED that:-

(a)         the report be noted; and

(b)              the additional Annex to the Cabinet report be sent to all Members of the Committee together with appropriate details on the latest Defra consultation on Sustainable Drainage Systems.