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Accountability, Claire Wright, Democracy, Education (local), Flooding, Hugo Swire, Independent Councillors, Tipton St John

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Hugo Swire bans Claire Wright from a meeting in her ward

“Hugo Swire bars me from a meeting about Tipton St John Primary School flooding problems

I was bizarrely barred from a meeting in my own ward this lunchtime, with East Devon’s MP and the chief executive of the Environment Agency, James Bevan, who met with Tipton St John school staff about the ongoing challenges of flooding at the school – an issue I have been active on for three years.

I have been involved in discussions on how the situation at Tipton St John may be remedied since I was elected as a Devon County councillor in 2013.

I asked to attend the meeting this morning, however, was informed by Hugo Swire’s office that I would not be welcome as he was “keeping the meeting very small and focused and had to limit numbers.”

I was very disappointed about being excluded as crucially important issues would be discussed that I have been actively involved with. Last year I provided funding from my county council locality budget for a flood survey and helped to clear up after at least two flooding events, arranging with the chief fire officer for Devon and Somerset, for the fire and rescue service to be involved in these clear ups.

I have attended meetings with residents about the future of the school and worked with the school – and the community on trying to find a solution to the flooding problems.

As the Devon County councillor for Tipton St John with a clear interest and involvement in supporting the community I would have thought it was entirely appropriate that I should have been invited to a meeting with the chief executive of the Environment Agency.

It was a poor decision”

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_swire_bars_me_from_a_meeting_about_tipton_st_john_primary_school_flood

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Coastal communities, Democracy, Flooding, Neil Parish

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Neil Parish knows exactly how to drum up post-Brexit trade!

Question in Parliament yesterday:

“Does my hon. Friend agree that what is different about having a new royal yacht now is that we are sailing into a brave new world, and that we will do, and need to do, many more trade deals across the world? There is a great opportunity not only to support the royal family, but to support the nation in getting those trade deals”

His other parliamentary questions in 2016 have covered. Bear in mind he is a dairy farmer and Chairman of the Commons Transport Committee.

Summary: good to have onside if you are a farmer or use the A303 a lot. Not so good if you are an ordinary voter desperately trying to get on the housing ladder or a struggling seaside town in his area (Seaton is in his constituency) or a pensioner worried about your current or future health!

To be fair: he did speak up at the Feniton development public inquiry – but his written questions fo reflect his major interests:

Questions 2016

The Swansea tidal lagoon – two questions this year
Olympics and doping
Hybrid cars
Veal
Congratulations to Ministers
Broadband – several questions
EU sanctions on Russia
Bsdger Culling
Milk prices
Dualling A303/ West Country roads – many questions.
Eating Well
The dairy industry
Universal Credits
Working with industry instead of bringing in a sugar tax
Stimulating venture capital investment
Farming in general – many similar questions
Police grants
Renewable heat
Onshore gas and shale extraction
Flooding ( after Somerset floods)
Biofuels
Rural areas

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?pid=24779&pop=1&p=5

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Environment (local), Flooding

“Basic flood protection ‘missing in high risk areas’ “

“Hundreds of thousands of householders in flood risk areas have failed to install basic protection against rising waters, insurers say.

The Association of British Insurers said even buildings guarded by flood defences should have flood-proof doors in case embankments are over-topped.

The comments add to a complex blame game over responsibility for floods.

The insurers have been criticised by the Environment Agency for failing to protect inundated properties.

Local councils are also part of the melee – they want more cash for flood funding from the government, and more control of how it is spent. They are critical of the Environment Agency.

Ministers are in the fray too, as demands increase for tighter building standards to ensure at-risk homes are made more flood resistant.

Some of these tensions around flood policy are revealed in an unpublicised report to government that ministers plan to launch in coming weeks.

In the report, the Environment Agency blames insurers for failing to prepare for the increased threat of flooding.
The insurers, the agency says, should not simply re-instate flooded homes to their original state – they should ensure properties are resistant or resilient to future floods.
Emma Howard Boyd, who chairs the agency, says: “There is a disconnect between insurance reinstatement and resilient repair of property.

“Loss adjustors and builders do not understand the benefits of resilient measures.

“It is not clear that the insurance industry value property-level resilience or incentivising people to have it.”
That is despite research suggesting that precautionary measures are extremely good value.

The report’s main author, Sir Peter Bonfield, points the finger at householders for failing to improve their homes after flooding. …

… Finally, there remains the public. Comments made to me on trips to flood-hit areas in Devon [Topsham, Radio 4 Today programme today] and Cumbria suggest many reasons why owners of at-risk homes and businesses do not flood-proof their properties.

They include: distrust of builders; inability to get grants unless they have already been flooded; dislike of form-filling; uncertainty about flood protection products; complacency about future flooding; lack of help from insurance companies… or simply (and in many cases most powerfully), they can’t get round to it.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37565462

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“Plans for ‘flood risk’ symbols on homes prove controversial”

Not a chance of this being taken up either by estate agents or developers in rainy, hilly, run-off, river crossed East Devon!

“The insurance industry has published three “flood risk” symbols it would like estate agents in England and Wales to put on their property particulars.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is proposing traffic light symbols in red, amber and green, to warn buyers about the flood dangers.

But estate agents say such symbols would stop buyers even looking at a property, so would block sales.

Around one in six properties would be labelled as either amber or red.

The ABI says the symbols would prompt buyers to investigate flood risks properly.

It claims that at the moment, house-hunters are more likely to ask about parking provision than flooding.

Last December, as many as 16,000 homes in the north of England succumbed to flood waters, as a result of Storm Desmond and Storm Eva.

Three flood symbolsImage copyrightABIt

James Dalton, director of general insurance at the ABI, said: “As the floods of last winter reminded us, being flooded is horribly traumatic and can leave people out of their home or business for months.

“Anyone whose property is at flood risk needs to be aware of that, so they can take steps to protect themselves.”
However, estate agents say they are unlikely to take up the idea.

They point out that, under the Consumer Protection Regulations, they are already obliged to tell buyers of any material concerns about a property, including the risk of flooding.

But having such prominent warning symbols would put most buyers off, they say.

“If you see a red, you wouldn’t bother to look at it. You’d say, I’m not going to visit,” said Mark Hayward, the managing director of the National Association of Estate Agents.

See the Environment Agency flood maps for England and Wales
“It would be a pointless and fruitless exercise,” said property expert Henry Pryor.

“You would make a huge proportion of homes unsalable and unmortgageable.”

He said having just three symbols would also be an oversimplification of many different degrees of flood risk.
The ABI said that if estate agents did not take up the idea voluntarily, it might consider asking for legislation to make it compulsory.

The government appeared to offer qualified support for the idea of the flood risk symbols.

“It’s important people understand flood risk, so they can make informed decisions about where they live,” said a spokesperson from the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

“We’re making more data and technology available than ever before through the Environment Agency’s free Flood Warnings Service and our advanced flood mapping and forecasting.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37497092

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Government now planning for 20-30% more extreme rainfall

“The UK’s new flood defence plans anticipate significantly higher extreme rainfall, after new research was published as part of the government’s National Flood Resilience review.

The government, which had been criticised for not taking full account of the impact of climate change in driving up flood risk, will now plan for 20-30% more extreme downpours than before.

The review, prompted by severe flooding in recent winters, also found that critical infrastructure, such as water and telecoms, are at serious risk from floods and utility companies have committed to increasing protection. The government’s official climate change advisers recently warned that flooding could cause a cascade of emergencies by knocking out energy, transport, water and communications link.

The review allocates £12.5m for more temporary defences, such as barriers and pumps, at strategic locations around the country. By this winter, the government said, four times more temporary barriers will be available.

The review has also led to the setting up of more projects in which natural approaches, such as tree planting and moorland restoration, are used to slow the flow of water into rivers and reduce flood risk, including one in Cumbria, which was hit hard last winter.

“Last winter we saw just how devastating flooding can be. This review sets out clear actions so we are better prepared to respond quickly in the event of future flooding and can strengthen the nation’s flood defences,” said the environment secretary, Andrea Leadsom.

Ben Gummer, Cabinet Office minister, said: “The government has made clear that we expect water and telecoms companies to work ever closer together to improve their preparation and response to flooding, making sure lifelines such as mobile phone masts and water treatment works continue to function even when the great British weather is throwing its very worst at us.”

A previous flood review ordered by David Cameron after the 2014 floods was never delivered.

The review asked the Met Office to develop new plausible extreme rainfall scenarios. It added 20-30% to recently recorded extreme events, a figure it expects will mean only a 10% chance of worse rain in the next 10 years. “When we used a selection of the Environment Agency’s detailed models to predict the flooding associated with these extreme rainfall scenarios, we discovered (unsurprisingly) that it, too, was worse than anything we have seen to date,” the review states.

Speaking before the report’s publication, former floods minister Richard Benyon said farmers could to be paid to hold back floodwater under a post-Brexit rural payments system. “There is an opportunity now to completely rethink rural policy, and flood protection can come in as part of the way we support farmers and see farming as doing a public good when it protects communities from flooding,” he said.

Flood defence spending was cut sharply by David Cameron’s coalition government but partly reversed after severe floods in the winters of 2013-14 and 2015-16. In March’s budget, a £700m boost was pledged, meaning some English cities and towns that had been left without planned flood defences by the cuts are now getting the projects. The north of England, devastated by winter floods, is getting at least £150m of the new money, giving better protection for thousands of homes.

The Guardian had revealed in 2012 that 294 projects in line for funding were left stranded after the heavy cuts and exposed a series of places that were later flooded. These included Leeds and Kendal, which were submerged in last winter’s storms. Both places will now get new defences. The new money is being funded by an increase in insurance premium tax.

The government had been warned by a series of official bodies that flood risk was rising due to inadequate spending and was costing billions of pounds in damages. Government scientists have long warned that more severe flooding is the greatest impact of climate change in the UK.

Floods already cause £1bn of damage every year on average but the risks will rise yet further as climate change leads to more intense rainfall, bringing floods to places not currently in danger. The number of households at significant risk of flooding will more than double to 1.9m by 2050, if the global temperature rises by 4C.

One new approach is to use natural methods to slow the flow of water and tree planting has been shown to have prevented flooding at Pickering in North Yorkshire over Christmas, at a time when heavy rainfall caused devastating flooding across the region. A separate back-to-nature trial in Holnicote, Somerset, has also showed promising results.”

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/08/flooding-uk-government-plans-for-more-extreme-rainfall

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EDDC, Environment (local), Flooding, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Sidmouth Town Council to discuss Sidford industrial park tonight

For the latest information and frightening pictures see:

https://saveoursidmouth.com

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AONB, Flooding, NPPF

AONB? It means nothing to developers

AONB – RIP NPPF – might as well rip it up.

And in David Cameron’s back yard.

Susie Bond’s blog:

“And now even the AONBs aren’t safe from grasping developers!

Appeal decision at Milton-under-Wychwood

An extraordinary decision following the planning appeal on land at Milton-under-Wychwood in West Oxfordshire has seen the Draconian planning rules turned completely on their head.

NPPF

Current planning policy, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) identifies that, in the absence of a Local Plan, houses should be built in locations which are sustainable from an environmental, social and economic perspective.

Paragraph 115 of the NPPF clearly stipulates that AONBs should have the ‘highest level of protection’ from development:

115. Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6077/2116950.pdf)

West Oxfordshire’s Local Plan

The NPPF came into force in 2012 with councils given a year’s grace to March 2013 to get their Local Plans in place and identify that they had a 5-year supply of land for housing development. West Oxfordshire District Council seems to be woefully far behind in this process and, according to the planning decision, could only demonstrate a 2-year land supply. The figures, of course, did not take into consideration the number of houses in the pipeline.

The site is in David Cameron’s own constituency, at Milton-under-Wychwood in West Oxfordshire, where the appeal has allowed 62 houses in the very heart of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

I gather that local residents are understandably livid and have major concerns that 100+ cars will exit the new development directly on to a single track road, through a village with impossible parking facilities. There are no places in the school, the surgery is full, and there is already another approved development for 40 houses in the village. The population of the village is under 1700 and the combined developments will swamp the village with over a hundred new houses. A massive development is currently being built in Chipping Norton, with another one going through the appeal process (and yet another in Burford and another in Charlbury).

Fears over surface water flooding

Worries about flooding from the site are very real, with concerns about houses downhill of the site at high risk of flooding. The planning inspector has recognised this and stipulated that flood mitigation measures must be put in place before a single house is occupied, and given our experience here in Feniton at Wainhomes’ Winchester Park site, I would strongly urge residents to keep a close eye on this one.

Campaigners in Milton-under-Wychwood now have to consider their position and there are very few options open to them. Judicial review is the only route left, but it requires money and a determination to carry on the fight.”

https://susiebond.wordpress.com/2016/08/12/and-now-even-the-aonbs-arent-safe-from-grasping-developers/

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Accountability, AONB, Environment (local), Flooding, Rural communities

The price of nature or the value of nature: Leadsom to decide

“Ministers must deliver on a manifesto pledge for a 25-year plan to boost nature and cut the costs of environmental damage, it has been urged.

Harm caused by floods, air pollution, water pollution and chemicals in the atmosphere are adding billions of pounds a year to bills, insurance premiums and costs for businesses, farms and households, environmentalists warn.

But after the Brexit vote, there is uncertainty whether environmental protections provided by the European Union will be maintained.

And the promised 25-year plan for the environment has been delayed, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) said.

Air pollution costs the UK an estimated £15-20bn a year, flood damage £1.4bn, water pollution can add up to 17% on consumer bills, £129m is spent cleaning farm run-off from water supplies and farmers incur an extra £180m in growing costs a year due to chemicals in the air.

But efforts to protect nature would deliver significant economic and social benefits, a report by WWT said.

For example, creating 100,000 hectares of new wetlands from restoring upland peat and coastal salt marshes to creating “pocket ponds” in cities could reduce flooding, purify water, save money and improve mental health.

The report urges the government to deliver on the 25-year plan, and to make itself accountable to parliament by producing an annual budget statement on the value of nature alongside the value of the economy.

Ministers should also ensure UK environmental protection is as strong or stronger after Brexit and appoint “catchment commissioners” to co-ordinate a joined-up approach in each area and reward action across the landscape, it said.

WWT is also calling for ministers to establish guidance and accreditation for organisations providing “green prescriptions” which give access to nature to deliver affordable benefits to physical and mental health.

Opposition parties have backed the call for the government to keep its promise for a 25-year plan for the environment.

They urged ministers to commit to consulting on a plan which sets out strong policies, with long term legally-binding targets to improve the environment, maintains protection after Brexit, and ensures international co-operation on the issue.

In a joint statement, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, shadow environment secretary Rachael Maskell and Green party MP Caroline Lucas warned “our environment must not be a victim of short-term political unrest”.

WWT chief executive, Martin Spray, said: “We all end up paying for environmental damage through higher prices and taxes, as well as the social and health costs of Britain being a less healthy place to live.

“Our recommendation is remarkably simple. Make the government accountable to parliament for the value of the environment as well as the economy. Transparency will drive improvement.

He added: “This is a key early test for the new prime minister.

“Will she deliver a manifesto commitment to value our environment? And in a post-Brexit Britain she has another question to answer: Will she commit to environmental protection improving on – or at least being equal to – that provided by the EU?”

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokeswoman said: “Developing a 25-year plan for the environment is a Conservative manifesto commitment and a priority for this department.

“While the precise nature of the plan may change now the UK has decided to leave the EU, we will seize this opportunity to consider our long-term vision for the environment and work with a range of interests to determine and deliver it.”

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/19/uk-government-must-deliver-on-25-year-environmental-pledge?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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Accountability, Environment (local), Flooding, Spin, Sustainability

“Toothless Environment Agency is allowing the living world to be wrecked with impunity”

No chance for Sidford Fields then.

” … The Environment Agency no longer prosecutes even some of the most extreme pollution events. In 2013, a farmer in Somerset released what the agency called a “tsunami of slurry” into the Wellow Brook. One inspector said it was the worst pollution she had seen in 17 years. But the agency dithered for a year before striking a private agreement with the farmer, allowing him to avoid possible prosecution, criminal record, massive fine and court costs, by giving £5,000 to a local charity.

New rules imposed by the government means that such under-the-counter deals, which now have a name of their own – enforcement undertakings – are likely to become more common. They are a parody of justice: arbitrary, opaque and wide open to influence-peddling, special pleading and corruption.

I see the agency’s farcical investigation of the pollution incident I reported as strategic incompetence, designed to avoid conflict with powerful landowners. Were it to follow any other strategy, it would run into trouble with the government.

These problems are likely to become even more severe, when the new cuts the environment department has just agreed with the Treasury take effect. An analysis by the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts reveals that, once the new reductions bite, the government’s spending on wildlife conservation, air quality and water pollution will have declined by nearly 80% in real terms since 2009-10.

It’s all up for grabs now: if you want to wreck the living world, the government is not going to stop you. Those who have power, agency, money or land can – metaphorically and literally – dump their crap on the rest of us.

Never mind that the government is now breaking European law left right and centre, spectacularly failing, for example, to ensure that all aquatic ecosystems are in good health by the end of this year, as it is supposed to do under the water framework directive. It no longer seems to care. It would rather use your tax money to pay fines to the European commission than enforce the law against polluters.

I’ve heard the same description of Liz Truss, the secretary of state for environment, who oversees the work of the Environment Agency, from several people over the past few months: “Worse than Owen Paterson”. At first, I refused to take it seriously. It’s the kind of statement that is usually employed as hyperbole, such as “somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan”, or “more deluded than Tony Blair”. But in this case, they aren’t joking. Preposterous as the notion of any environment secretary being worse than Paterson might seem, they mean it. …”

http://gu.com/p/4e5jg

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Environment (local), Flooding, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Sidford: Environment Agency “not using new flooding figures to save developer money”

The Sid Vale Association is to take legal advice on the Environment Agency’s “incomprehensible” decision to support a planning application for a business park on a Sidford floodplain.

Here’s an extract from the Sidmouth Herald’s report :

” … The Environment Agency (EA) has defended its ‘incomprehensible’ support of plans for a 9.3-acre business park in Sidford – because using its new flood risk figures could cost the developer money.

A climate change report by the government body states that the region’s peak river flow is expected to increase by 85 per cent – four times more than anticipated – while surface water is likely to increase 40 per cent by around 2070, which is double the previous forecast.

In light of the increased risk to the flood-prone valley, representatives are calling for the agency to rethink its support of an outline planning application for the business park between Sidford and Sidbury, submitted by Fords of Sidmouth.

But the EA states it has not taken the new figures published earlier this year into account because the site is already allocated in the adopted East Devon Local Plan – a development blueprint to cover the next 15 years.

The EA’s policy states: “The advice will come into immediate effect. However, where local plans or development proposals and associated flood risk assessments are well advanced, the application of the updated allowances could significantly slow down completion or add to costs.”

An EA spokesman said: “We considered the plan and application to be well advanced and therefore reasonable to base advice on the existing allowances.”

The Sid Vale Association (SVA) has threatened legal action if the agency does not review its ‘short-sighted and potentially dangerous’ position on the matter.

SVA conservation and planning committee chair Richard Thurlow said: “Our letter [to the EA] reflects the comments of many Sidmouth and Sidford residents. We find it absolutely incomprehensible that the Environment Agency is not using its own regulations which came into operation in February. … “

Increased flood risk: SVA calls for Environment Agency rethink on the Sidford planning application.

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Austerity cuts, Environment (local), Flooding, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

“MPs criticise government over flood protection plans”

Of interest to those in Sidford, who are being let down by flood protection by inappropriate development.

… “Labour MP Ms Creagh said: “We know that flooding is projected to get worse and occur more frequently because of climate change, so it just isn’t good enough for government to react to flooding events as they occur.

“Communities at risk deserve certainty from government.”
The committee found that funding for flooding fluctuates year-on-year. Funding was initially cut during the last parliament and only increased after the winter floods of 2013-14.

The government has committed to spending £2.3bn on building new defences and to protect spending on maintaining existing defences – but the EAC warned they were “sceptical” the government would reach its target of protecting 300,000 properties, saying it was based on an optimistic forecast that assumed the greatest efficiency in spending decisions.
The committee also said it was surprised to learn the extra £700m funding for flood defences announced in this year’s Budget was based on a “political calculation” and may not be allocated with the same strict economic criteria as the £2.3bn.

The report said that could lead to inefficiencies in flood investments, poor decision-making and outcomes that were potentially unfair to some regions. …

… The condition of critical flood defences is in decline, according to the committee.

Ms Creagh said: “The government needs to put money into the upkeep of existing flood defences as well as investing in new defences. Failure to do so can have terrible consequences for residents and businesses when defences fail.

“Any decline in the condition of critical flood defences represents an unacceptable risk to local communities in flood prone areas. We urge the government to go beyond its current target and aim to have virtually all its critical assets meeting the Environment Agency’s required condition by 2019.”

The committee said it was concerned the government does not know how prepared local authorities are for flooding, with Ms Creagh adding that local authorities “are not receiving the support they need to prepare for, and mitigate, the impacts of flooding”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36480213

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Sidbury Business Park plans – a test of sustainability

Possibly the most unsustainable development plans ever mooted for Sidford/Sidbury – and some very half hearted excuses about why it cannot be in Sidmouth (where, oddly, it was thought possible when Asda were interested).

“… Despite an eleventh-hour bid to remove it, the Sid Valley was allocated 12 acres of employment land north of the A3052.

Fords has its sights set on some 14 acres of agricultural land east of the A375, but the proposed ‘net development’ area is 9.3 acres. Its application argues that having no development of an employment site in Sidmouth over the Local Plan period is an ‘unacceptable conclusion’.

The company claims that developments that provide new employment opportunities are ‘well overdue’ in the area, as the disparity between wages and the cost of living is widening, particularly for young people.

According to the plans, the greenfield site is the ‘only available and deliverable’ option close to the urban edge of Sidmouth and there were no ‘realistic alternatives’.

This is despite the ‘adverse and direct, long-term effect of severe significance’ on the landscape character, according to the application. The impact will be mitigated by the planting of 3.7 acres of woodland, 400 metres of hedgerow and a ‘substantial buffer’ of trees around much of the site, say the plans.

The application states that the town centre cannot meet the demand because of the lack of parking and disabled access.

It also says it is unviable to create a new £1million access so the Alexandria Industrial Estate – home to Fords’ current HQ – can reach capacity as an employment site. The estate has been allocated Sidmouth’s remaining 1.2 acres of employment land in the Local Plan.

Fords’ application allocates 9,120 sqm for business use, 6,840 sqm for ‘general industrial’ use and 6,840 sqm for storage and distribution – a total area equivalent to three football pitches. …”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/business_park_plans_for_sidmouth_revealed_1_4533344

Let’s see where Councillor Stuart Hughes stands on this, having done the hokey-kokey so far.

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Make all new homes flood-proof says Local Government Association

“Housing developers should be forced to install flood prevention measures when building new homes in at-risk areas, the Local Government Association has said.

The group, which represents councils in England and Wales, believes protection including raised electrical sockets, sealed floors and wiring above floor level should become a mandatory part of building regulations.

Deputy chairman of the LGA, Councillor Peter Fleming, told Sky News that the Government and the construction industry must “step up to the plate” to stop homes being devastated in future storms.

“These are simple, low-cost changes that can easily be made that would actually make a massive difference to people that have been affected by flooding,” he added.

An estimated one in six homes in the UK are at risk of flooding, and last winter’s floods are believed to have caused damage worth £5bn. …”

http://news.sky.com/story/1687760/make-builders-flood-proof-new-homes-govt-told

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Democracy, Flooding, Sustainability

Government opposes requirement for sustainable drainage

” … With the government promising hundreds of thousands of new houses in the next few years, this problem [surface water flooding] is likely to accelerate. At present, housing developers are able to connect new homes to existing sewage and water networks without having to upgrade them, which puts new houses and nearby existing ones at the threat of overload and flooding, and the unpleasant effects that come from sewage outflows.

An amendment to the housing and planning bill, to be discussed in the Lords on Monday, would remove this right and require builders to use “sustainable drainage systems”, which can include incorporating vegetation and other features to allow water to be naturally absorbed.

The government opposes the amendment, but a cross-party group of peers may muster enough votes from rebel Tories to defeat ministers.”

http://gu.com/p/4tfd7?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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Exmouth, Flooding, Moirai Exmouth project

900 sandbags on Exmouth seafront

Hope Moirai build in storm resilience at their Exmouth development – otherwise they will have some very unhappy people to answer to!

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/900-sand-bags-laid-Exmouth-ahead-high-tide/story-29085272-detail/story.html

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Devolution, Flooding, Local Enterprise Partnership

UK winter floods cost councils £250 million -what is our LEP’s role in building flood resilience ?

“The final tally could be even higher, as councils are still counting the cost of the winter devastation. The total cost to households and businesses hit by the winter floods could be as much as £5bn, KPMG said in December.

The worst-hit council was Cumbria, which saw around £175m in damage to local authority-owned infrastructure, with costs for flood-hit bridges, landslips, carriageway damage, survey work and the need to build a temporary road on the A591.

Calderdale has a bill of £33m, Northumberland £24m and Lancashire has suffered £5m damage due to the floods.

The LGA said government funding had been important in helping local authorities and communities recover from the floods, but warned councils will need more help as the full cost of damage emerges.

The organisation also called for new flood defence funding to be devolved to local areas so authorities can work with communities and businesses to ensure money is spent where it is most needed.”

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/25/uks-winter-floods-land-councils-with-nearly-250m-bill-survey-shows

This is what our LEP said in February 2014:

“Given its strategic role on both economic and funding matters, the Heart of the South West LEP has been asked to lead the Economic Impact and Funding workstream. The workstream will provide an underlying case for funding of immediate mitigation measures and wider assistance, as well as set out evidence for investment in longer term solutions for the levels and moors area.”

http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/news/flooding

In June 2014 a £50,000 grant was given to establish “work hubs” in areas that had experienced flooding in the Mendips:

http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/news/flooding

The only other mention of flooding is in the LEPs response to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement last year on the same webpage”

“We are pleased that the Exeter Flood Defence Scheme, which will help protect around 3200 businesses and residents across the city is taking shape. It’s vital that we take proactive flood alleviation measures to reduce the potentially disastrous consequences that flooding can have for the economy throughout the HotSW area.”

So, don’t hold your breath on the LEP being proactive with funding for flood resilience infrastructure – it has too much invested in the Hinkley C nuclear power plant and far too many “hubs” of all kinds to fund for business (wo)men for “growth” opportunities.

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DCC, Flooding, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, PegasusLife, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Knowle drainage to be sorted by DCC just in time for Pegasus development

What excellent timing for Pegasus. But perhaps they might be tapped to provide water storage – perhaps in one of their private swimmimg pools.

“Devon County Council (DCC) was this week surveying Station Road to extend a topographical study of the parkland – a first step in implementing Sidmouth’s 2014 surface water management plan (SWMP).

The authority has a funding allocation for 2018/19, so it is working to appraise the project and justify the cost – estimated at £436,000 in 2014’s SWMP – before it approaches government department Defra.

Councillor Stuart Hughes said: “One of the recommendations of the Sidmouth SWMP was to consider attenuating surface run-off in the grounds of Knowle. The preferred scheme and design are very much in the early stages, so this additional survey data being collected will assist us in determining the viability of this option.

“If suitable, then we will look to develop the detailed design and project appraisal to secure the required funding from Defra.”

The SWMP, compiled by Jacobs, said that the total predicted damage in Sidmouth town centre could be worth £12million over a 50-year period if surface water flooding is not addressed. Some 14 per cent of homes and 49 per cent of non-residential properties are at risk. It said ‘realistic and sympathetic’ landscaping at Knowle could provide storage for three million litres of floodwater that would otherwise run down Station Road toward the town centre.

The basin would be dry most of the time and would only store water during times of extreme rainfall, allowing the site to remain accessible. It would then be discharged into the drains once the peak of the flood has passed. Water storage at Knowle was among the options put forward for reducing the flood risk – but it would be most effective if combined with other measures. These include re-profiling All Saints Road and Station Road. The SWMP also proposed a pumped drainage system to prevent water ponding in Bedford Square and a ‘quick-win’ scheme to contain Cheese Lane’s watercourse.

It did not consider the risk of flooding from the River Sid or the sea, which remain the responsibility of the Environment Agency.”

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Clyst St Mary, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), Flooding, Local Plan, Neighbourhood Plans

SAVE CLYST ST MARY – FEBRUARY UPDATE

“Apologies for the length of this update. There have recently been a number of significant developments with regard to planning applications of which we feel you should be aware. You are therefore strongly urged to read the whole document.

As always, thank you for your continued support; we remain committed to protecting Clyst St Mary from inappropriate developments.

1. Local Plan

The most significant event since the last update has been the formal adoption of the Local Plan by EDDC. In theory this should protect the village from further large scale development other than the 150 houses on the brown field areas of the former Friends Provident site.

At the meeting of the Parish Council on 8th February, which was attended by members of our Campaign Group, Councillor Howe gave a very warm and upbeat welcome to the Plan and emphasised that it would give EDDC the clout it needed to prevent inappropriate development of green field sites. He also said that the Planning Committee had already refused several planning applications in East Devon on the basis they were not in accordance with the Plan.

We hope that this robust approach will be sustained when the planning applications for the Friends Provident site are eventually scrutinised by the Planning Committee. We are very fortunate that our District Councillor lives in the village and has been such a strong supporter of our Campaign against inappropriate development over the past 12 months. We are particularly grateful for his input to the draft of the Local Plan last March which resulted in the house numbers for the Friends Provident site being reduced from some around 300 to 150.

Within the Plan we have our own map! This clearly shows the playing fields of the Friends Provident site and the Plymouth Brethren field as remaining green and where building will not be permitted.

Interestingly it also shows the areas that become flooded when Grindle Brook bursts the banks, as it has several times this winter. You can view the map in the online version of this update on our website http://www.saveclyststmary.org.uk

2. Future of the Friends Provident Playing Fields

The Save Clyst St Mary Campaign Group has consistently taken a robust line that the green areas in and around Clyst House should remain green and, as already mentioned, we have been successful by having this included in the Local Plan.

We do not see it as being in our remit to get involved in deciding what these green spaces would be used for in future or how they should be administered. We feel this is a matter for the Parish Council. Our assumption and hope has always been that the existing sports pitches would remain and continue to be used by local sports teams to the benefit of the village and wider community.

At the Public Meeting held at the Village Hall on 16th November we listened with interest as Mr Peter Cain, who has a role in the administration of Clyst Valley Football Club, outlined his vision for the future of the sports fields. Our understanding that he has consulted with various sports related bodies and the agents for the Friends Provident Site.

We are also aware that the Parish Council has formed a Sport and Recreation Committee which will eventually be responsible for the administration of the sports fields and hold the land in some form of trusteeship.

Mr Cain also made some suggestions regards agreeing the release of some parts of the green field for house building in order to give something back to Friends Provident for allowing the sports pitches to remain as such. This is something we would strongly oppose because it would be against the Local Plan.

At the Parish Council Meeting on 8th February further details of these plans came to light and these are now causing us concern.

The Parish Council have been briefed by a representative of the agents, JLL, about a plan to build around 100-150 extra houses on the Plymouth Brethren field and in a line running from the Brethren field eastwards towards Clyst House.

The Parish Council has been sounded out by JLL about the possibility of a three way land swap. This would involve swapping the current Clyst Valley Football field for a new pitch on the Friends Site. The Plymouth Brethren land would swopped be for the Clyst Valley Football Pitch. An application would then be made to build a Plymouth Brethren meeting hall and large car park on the pitch.

These are proposals in principle and until a formal application is submitted the Parish Council cannot comment.

At this time we do not know the exact status of the football field land beyond that it is held in some sort of trust and from hearsay that it may have been given to the football club and/or village many years ago. If you can help us in any way with more information please get in touch.

It was confirmed at the Parish Council meeting by Councillor Howe that the trustees of the Football Club had agreed in principle with JLL to a land swap.

Obviously this is very disturbing news because it runs contrary to the aims of our Campaign Group, the Local Plan and the soon to adopted Neighbourhood Plan. We must now await the submission of fresh planning applications by JLL and the Plymouth Brethren. In the meantime we will keep you updated on further developments by email and on the website at http://www.saveclyststmary.org.uk.

When and if appropriate we will ask the Parish Council to call another Public Meeting in the Village Hall.

Over the past 12 months we have, with your invaluable support, achieved a great deal. Providing we stick together as residents and remain strong we will succeed in blocking further appropriate development from whatever quarter. As a village we are now in a far stronger position with the full backing of a Local Plan and very soon the Neighbourhood Plan.

3. Neighbourhood Plan

This is currently in the final consultation phase and is expected to be published in May. Once in place this will provide a further level of protection against the onslaught of the property developers. It can be seen at http://www.planning.bishopsclyst.co.uk/

For those that would prefer to look at a printed copy, it can be seen, until 1st March, at the following locations:

Cat & Fiddle Inn
Clyst St Mary Church
Clyst St Mary Post Office (Mills)
Clyst St Mary School
Clyst St Mary Village Hall
Half Moon Inn
Sowton Church
Sowton Village.

4. Foul smell coming from the Digester (pink ‘bubble’ situated in Oil Mill Lane)

Should you smell a strong odour which you believe is coming from the digester, remember that this needs to be reported to the Environmental Agency on an individual basis (they will not accept a group complaint). It is simple to do this: telephone (free) 0800 80 70 60.

5. Traffic Action Group
(distributed on behalf of the Parish Council)
As a member of our Parish Council, I am aware that there are any number of concerns relating to traffic, speeding, and general pedestrian and driver safety within the village and around the Parish.

One thing has become very apparent when pursuing any traffic related issue. Because Devon Highways are so cash strapped, and from experience difficult to communicate with, it has been suggested that a Traffic Action Group be formed.

If you have an issue you wish to raise, then so far as Devon Highways go, they require documented evidence of any problems. Therefore we are looking to local residents to write in to the Parish Council together with any photographic evidence highlighting their concerns.

It is no good grumbling to neighbours, or in the pub or shop, or even to your PC. Written documentation is what is needed, sent to your PC, so it can be collated and prioritised before approaching Devon Highways. As with so many local government departments, the more letters and pieces of evidence presented to them, the more likely they will take notice.
This is especially so if a safety issue plays an important role in any given concern. But it must be supported by as many individual missives as can be got together.

Therefore your Parish Council is encouraging you all to put pen to paper, or fingers to E-mail: bishopsclyst@gmail.com .If any of you wish to participate in helping to run an Action group you would be most welcome. You would not have to be a Parish Councillor as the group would gather information to present to the PC.

It seems that in the present climate of local and central government austerity, local lobbying as I have described is becoming an essential way of getting things done within a community like ours.

6. Flood insurance survey
(letter distributed on behalf of the Parish Council)
Dear Supporter

Please help Flood Re with research about the cost of flood insurance

The cost of flood insurance is high on the news agenda again following the flood damage caused by Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank. It is only two years since the previous significant flood event in the UK and experts predict that the risk of flooding is set to increase even further.

A new scheme called Flood Re has been set up by the insurance industry with the support of the Government to help those struggling to find affordable home insurance and will launch in April 2016.

In order to better understand what impact the new scheme will have, it is important for Flood Re to measure the availability and cost of home insurance now and then compare this with data collected after the launch in April.

National Flood Forum would like you to contribute to this research by taking part in an online survey. This study is being carried out by Consumer Intelligence http://www.consumerintelligence.com on behalf of Flood Re http://www.floodre.co.uk . It should take less than 10 minutes of your time to complete and as a thank you for helping Flood Re with this vital work, Consumer Intelligence will send you £5 via email to a registered PayPal account or if you prefer, they will donate £5 on your behalf to the National Flood Forum.

What do you need to do?

Simply complete the online response via the link below. Flood Re will use this information to obtain home insurance quotations at four points during 2016 and 2017. Your details will not be used for any other purpose without prior consent. https://consumerintelligence.fluidsurveys.com/s/flood_research/

National Flood Forum hopes that enough people will participate in the research to demonstrate how effective Flood Re is at making household insurance available to households in flood risk areas and that this can be used to shape and develop the scheme in the future.

N.B. There are still a few places left on the FloodRe roundtable discussions notably Reading (18th Feb), Wrexham (22nd Feb), York (25th Feb) and Gloucester (3rd March) for further details please contact Laura Furman on laura.furman@floodre.co.uk.

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Feniton/ Talaton, Flooding, Wainhomes

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Heart-rending pictures and experiences of flooding in Feniton – again

And tonight it is raining heavily again so the village is anticipating worse conditions. Will Wainhomes do the decent thing and sort this problem out. Don’t hold your breath.

…”Water poured off the field beside Feniton’s latest development where swales (ditches) take surface water around the site, round the attenuation tank and then direct it straight through the Parish Council-owned play area. The swings had already been removed from a previous bout of heavy rain, when the ground under the swings was silted up with slimy sand from the surface water run-off.

The flood risk assessment submitted by Wainhomes and approved by the Environment Agency and Devon County Council seems to be woefully inadequate for dealing with surface water run-off from this high point of the village. Both the plan and the scheme put in place by Wainhomes need to be carefully scrutinised to ensure that what was planned and approved has actually been put in place.

And so it continued … sandy water poured under the allotment gates down Coventry Close and several of us spent some time trying to direct the flow to different drain holes so that they were not overwhelmed.

It’s boring, tedious, cold, dispiriting work … And we seem to spend far too much of our time worrying about what the weather will inflict on us next.

It’s probably a good time to thank the many flood wardens and other residents who give so selflessly of their time.

A particular thank you has to go to the kind resident of Exeter Close who came out with tea and biscuits for Danny and Jayne who stayed on Station Road until it was safe to re-open the road. …”

https://susiebond.wordpress.com/2016/02/07/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-yet-again/

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Coastal erosion, Environment (local), Exmouth, Flooding, Moirai Exmouth project

Flooding and sandstorm – Exmouth seafront road video

And take a look at the video of a drive on Exmouth seafront road this morning on the Facebook Exmouth Splash (in every sense of the word!) public discussion site.

Exmouth Splash – Public Opinion & Discussion Page

And if anyone says the development doesn’t need an environmental impact assessment – show this to them!