Borough Policy Statement on Flood and Coastal Defence
1. Introduction
Purpose
1.1 This policy statement has been prepared
by Havant Borough Council to provide a public statement of the
Council's approach to flood and coastal defence in its area.
Background
1.2 The Department for Food, Environment
and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has policy responsibility for
flood and coastal defence in England. However, delivery is the
responsibility of a number of flood and coastal defence "operating
authorities" i.e. the Environment Agency, local authorities and
internal drainage boards. Responsibilities differ according to the
type of operating authority and Havant Borough Council's
responsibilities are set out in paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 below.
1.3 The Government has published a policy aim
and three objectives for flood and coastal defence1. To
ensure a more certain delivery of the aim and objectives by the
individual operating authorities the Government has published a
series of high level targets2. The first target requires
each operating authority to publish a policy statement setting out
their plans for delivering the Government's policy aim and
objectives in their area. This will include their assessment of
flooding and coastal erosion risk in the their area, and the plans
for reducing or managing that risk.
1.4 This policy statement fulfils that
requirement. Copies are also available from the Council's offices
at Civic Centre Road, Havant, PO9 2AX. We are also providing a copy
to:
- the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA); and
- the Environment Agency
2. How the Council will deliver the Government's policy aim and
objectives
2.1 Havant Borough Council acknowledges and
supports the Government's aim and objectives for flood and coastal
defence (as set out below). Our policy and approach will be
consistent with them, as follows:
Government's policy aim: To reduce the risk
to people and the developed and natural environment from flooding
and coastal erosion by encouraging the provision of technically,
environmentally and economically sound and sustainable defence
measures. Section 3 below sets out our plans for reducing or
managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion risk in the
Council's area.
Objective (a): To encourage the provision of adequate
and cost effective flood warning systems.
Provision of flood warning systems is the responsibility of
the Environment Agency. However, Havant Borough Council recognises
its related and important role in emergency planning and response.
We will therefore:
- ensure that our emergency response plans include appropriate
arrangements for flooding emergencies and that such plans are
reviewed, in consultation with the Environment Agency, at least
every two years.
- maintain an awareness of the Environment Agency's flood warning
dissemination plan for our area and contribute to its
implementation as necessary, and
- play an agreed role in any flood warning emergency exercises
organised by the Environment Agency covering our area.
Objective (b): To encourage the provision of adequate,
economically, technically and environmentally sound and sustainable
flood and coastal defence measures.
Havant Borough Council will:
- provide an adequate, economically, technically and
environmentally sound approach to providing the flood and coastal
defence service. We will:
- adopt a strategic approach to provision of flood and coastal
defences, particularly by assessing any potentially wider effects
of proposed defences. To this end we will continue to play a full
role in the preparation of the East Solent Shoreline Management
Plan3, and Local Environment Agency Plans for our
area;
- aim to provide sustainable flood and coastal defences which
provide social and/or economic benefits to people whilst taking
account of natural processes and which avoid committing future
generations to inappropriate defence options;
- ensure work is carried out in accordance with best practice and
to deliver best value for money including
(a) keeping up-to-date with policy and technical
developments in flood and coastal defence, in particular by
reference to DEFRA
guidance, other Government publications and relevant technical
manuals,
(b) consulting the Environment Agency on flood defence
options to ensure that best practice is adopted and shared;
and
(c) using appropriately qualified experts to advise on
analysis and design of works or programmes of management;
- consider alternative approaches to funding, such as Public
Private Partnerships;
- where appropriate seek contributions from developers or other
direct beneficiaries of works, in accordance with
Planning Policy Statement 25;
- ensure that appropriate maintenance regimes are in place for
flood and coastal defences for which the Council takes
responsibility;
- inform landowners of what responsibilities for maintenance rest
with them (see paragraph 3.1 below); The Council issues leaflets
that offer householders advice and gives them the opportunity to
comment via a feedback questionnaire.
- make publicly available the Council's expenditure plans for
flood and coastal defence maintenance and capital works which are
published in the Councils Estimates annually.
- play a positive role in fulfilling our statutory and other
responsibilities for furthering nature conservation, including
achievement of the Government's environmental obligations and
targets. In particular we will:
- fulfill our responsibilities in relation to nationally and
internationally important conservation areas under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981 and as a competent authority under the terms
of the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations
1994
- co-operate with English Nature and the Environment Agency in
completing and implementing Coastal Habitat Management Plans
(ChaMPs) covering our area, drawing on English Nature / Environment
Agency guidance for plan production;
- when carrying out flood and coastal defence works, seek
opportunities for environmental enhancement, and aim to avoid
damage to environmental interest and to ensure no net loss to
habitats covered by Biodiversity Action Plans. We will monitor all
losses and gains of such habitats as a result of these operations
and report on them annually to the Environment Agency.
Objective (c): To discourage inappropriate development
in areas at risk from flooding and coastal erosion.
As the local planning authority for our area, Havant Borough
Council will take account of flooding and coastal erosion risks in
all matters relating to development control, including development
plans and individual planning applications, in accordance with
Planning Policy Guidance Note PPG20 and Planning Policy Statement
PPS25.
3. Our assessment of the risk of flooding and coastal
erosion in our area and what we will do to reduce or manage that
risk
Flood and coastal defence responsibilities
3.1 Apart from certain obligations to protect
internationally important habitats under the
EU
Habitats Directive, all flood and
coastal defence works are undertaken under permissive powers. This
means that operating authorities, such as Havant Borough Council,
are not obliged to carry out flood and coastal defence works. It is
also important to note that the Council does not normally accept
responsibility for maintenance of flood defences on private land;
this is the responsibility of the landowner.
3.2 Havant Borough Council has concurrent
powers with the Environment Agency and the County Council to act as
the relevant operating authority for flood defences on ordinary
watercourses within the Borough.
3.3 Havant Borough Council is the relevant
operating authority for coast protection (i.e. measures against
coastal erosion) on all frontages in the authority's area (and has
concurrent powers with the Environment Agency in respect of coastal
flood protection).
3.4 The flood and coastal defences that are
owned or managed by the Council are detailed in our return for the
database which is maintained by the Environment Agency.
3.5 The Environment Agency is the relevant
operating authority for flood defences on designated main rivers
(Langstone and Chichester Harbours are designated main rivers).
Culverts under roads are generally the responsibility of the
relevant Highways Authority (County Council or Highways
Agency).
Assessment of flood risk
3.6 The following water courses are
designated as main river and thus the responsibility of the
Environment Agency. There is no internal drainage board operating
in the Council's area.
|
River
|
Extent
|
| Mainland: |
|
|
Ems
|
Entire length along the Borough boundary including Slipper
mill pond and the branches within the Borough leading through Queen
Street Mill, Emsworth
|
|
Lymbourne Stream
|
From its source to Langstone Mill (Chichester Harbour)
|
|
Lavant (Stream)
(Brockhampton Stream)
|
Entire length within the Borough including both branches
through Havant to Langstone Harbour, including the Hermitage
link
|
|
Hermitage
|
From Queen Inclosure to Langstone Harbour
|
|
Wallington north(Brambles Farm)
|
From the exit to the Milton Road tunnel to the Borough
Boundary
|
|
Wallington south
(Purbrook)
|
From Stakes Road to Borough Boundary
|
| West Brook |
From its sink at Horndean Road, southwards to and including
Emsworth Mill Pond |
| Park Lane Stream |
From the upstream sink at the Warren Dam, southwards to its
confluence with the Hermitage Stream |
| Sandy Brow Stream |
From Privett Road to its confluence with the River Wallington
at Purbrook |
|
Selangor Avenue Stream
|
From Railway Culvert to confluence with Brook Gardens
Stream.
|
|
Brook Gardens Stream
|
Watercourse to west of Brook Gardens from A259 to
harbour.
|
|
Riders Lane Stream
|
From rear of Winterslow drive to the confluence with Hermitage
Stream
|
|
Brooklands Road Stream
|
From A3(M) to confluence with Hermitage Stream |
|
Harts Farm Stream
|
From old watercress beds near Harts farm cottages to confluence
with Brockhampton Stream |
|
Park Wood Stream
|
From issue within Park Wood to confluence with Hermitage
Stream |
|
Hayling Island:
|
|
|
Pound Croft Ditch
|
Watercourse from rear of 172 Havant Road, to Harbour
outfall.
|
|
Church Road (West) Ditch
|
Watercourse to rear of 75-99 Church Road, to Harbour
outfall
|
|
Church Road (East) Ditch
|
Watercourse to rear of 76-84 Church Road, to junction with
Church Road (West)
|
|
St Hermans Road Ditch
|
Watercourse from issue at 10 St Hermans Rd. to Harbour
outfall
|
|
Gutner Lane Ditch
|
Watercourse from Copse Lane to Harbour outfall
|
| Saltmarsh Lane ditch |
From Saltmarsh Lane / Hayling Billy to Harbour outfall |
A plan showing the Main Rivers in the Borough referred to in
the table above can be seen by clicking on the thumbnail below
(
JPG
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kb
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your browser's "back" button):
3.7 Excluding these "main rivers", there
are 19
km
of ordinary
watercourses for which Havant Borough Council is the relevant
operating authority. These represent all other watercourses in the
Council's area.
3.8 Based on historical flooding information,
coupled with the Environment Agency's indicative flood plain maps,
the Council has carried out an assessment of the risk of flooding
from the ordinary watercourses in the Borough. The main areas at
risk of fluvial flooding are the flood plains associated with the
Hermitage and Lavant streams in Leigh Park and Havant, and across
Hayling Island. The Council is satisfied that there are minimal
risks to human life created by these flood risks from ordinary
watercourses, but emphasises the need for the Environment Agency's
flood warnings to be heeded, where these are provided (see 3.10
below).
3.9 Low lying coastal areas are at risk of
tidal flooding (or a combination of tidal/fluvial flooding when
discharges of surface water to the harbours is tide-locked). These
areas are illustrated in the East Solent Shoreline Management Plan
and are included on a schematic map in the Borough's Emergency
Plans.
Action to reduce or manage flood risks
3.10 The main means by which flood risks will
be managed is through the Environment Agency's Local Flood Warning
Plan. This makes arrangements for warnings to be provided to flood
wardens within the Borough by telephone, including individual
warnings to high risk properties. Havant Borough Council has
included plans for responding to both major and minor flooding in
its emergency planning procedures and has arrangements for
cascading warnings received from the Environment Agency to relevant
Council services.
3.11 The Council has only limited resources
available at times of emergency. It retains a stock of sandbags for
its own use in protection the Public interest and will not normally
make these available to individual householders for the protection
of private property except on the direction of the emergency
services (and then subject to availability). The Council publishes
a leaflet that is intended to assist householders in making
preparations if their property lies in a flood risk area.
3.12 The Council
will implement a programme to inspect the state of the following
where they are within the council's ownership.
- Flood defences on ordinary watercourses (as Land Drainage
Authority).
- The Council will only inspect watercourses and flood defences
in private ownership where these are the subject of a
complaint.
3.13 The Council
will ensure that regular maintenance is carried out on the flood
defences and channels which it owns. Where responsibility for
maintenance rests with another party the council will only react in
the case of complaints.
3.14 By following Government guidance in
Planning Policy Statement 25 on development in flood risk
areas, the Council, acting as a local planning authority, will
ensure that risks are further minimised. This includes measures for
ensuring appropriate drainage systems to control surface water run
off.
Assessment of coastal erosion risks
3.15 The Borough has a shoreline with a total
length of 48
km
. The East Solent
Shoreline Management Plan (1997) contains maps which indicate the
lengths of coastline protected from flooding by flood banks for
which the Environment Agency is the operating authority and those
which are susceptible to erosion which the Borough Council is
responsible for managing under the Coast Protection Act.
3.16 The southern (most exposed) face of
Hayling Island consists of a shingle storm beach which is subject
to erosion. The predominant drift is from east to west and it is
necessary to maintain beach levels at the eastern end of the beach
by recycling shingle and re-nourishment.
3.17 The eastern and northern faces of
Hayling are generally low lying and protected from flooding by
flood banks for which the Environment Agency are the operating
Authority.
3.18 The west face of Hayling consists
principally of shallow clay cliffs that are slowly eroding. Where
there is housing close to the Coastline householders have
constructed private defences. Except for two low lying short
lengths of coastline protected by revetments constructed by the
Environment Agency the remainder of this coast is in a natural
state and suffers from moderate erosion.
3.19 Mainland coast is relatively sheltered.
Existing Coast Protection works are generally maintained by the
landowner (Including the Council where it is landowner at
Broadmarsh and Warblington). More recent developments generally
have adequate protection but older developments such as Langstone
Village, properties in Bath Road, Bridge Road, South Street, Queen
Street and Kings Street, Emsworth generally require to be protected
from flooding by flood boards as the land around them is regularly
inundated by the tide on spring tides.
Action to reduce or manage coastal erosion risks
3.20 The Council operates a programme of
routine beach management for the protected frontage at Eastoke
consisting of annual reprofiling and occasional recharge. The
programme of proposed works is set out in a Beach Management
Strategy Plan
4. The plan was originally completed and
submitted to
DEFRA
for comment in April 1999.
DEFRA
has consistently refused to approve the beach management plan
although it has occasionally made exceptional payments in support
of the Councils beach management operations.
DEFRA's
regional officers are at present refusing to give consideration to
the Beach Management Strategy Plan as they have requested that it
should be redrafted to include the northern frontage of the Eastoke
Peninsula by consultants employed jointly by the Borough and the
Environment Agency.
4. Partnerships and review of this policy statement
4.1 The Council has set out its policy and
approach to flood and coastal defence. We recognise the need to
work in partnership with central Government and other operating
authorities. Our local population also has an important part to
play, in recognising the vital importance of watercourses in
controlling flood risk and the need to avoid blockages, whether by
dumping rubbish or obstructing flows in other ways. We ask members
of the public to let us know of any problems which might increase
the risk of flooding or coastal erosion.
4.2 Havant Borough Council intends to review
this policy statement in three years' time, when it will be revised
and reissued as necessary. Meanwhile, the Council welcomes any
comments on the approach and policies set out in this
statement.
References
- Strategy for Flood and Coastal Defence in England and
Wales;
MAFF and Welsh Office, September 1993
- High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence Operating
Authorities and Elaboration of the Environment Agency's Flood
Defence Supervisory Duty;
MAFF, November 1999
- East Solent Shoreline Management Plan; HR Wallingford et al June 1996
- Beach Management Strategy Plan for the Southern Frontage of
the Eastoke Peninsula; HBC April 1999