FPA RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT CUTS IN FLOOD DEFENCE FUNDING

 

There are over three thousand properties currently reliant on Temporary and Demountable systems to reduce their flood risk to acceptable levels and this number is growing year on year.

 

Wider use has provided growing confidence as these systems have proven themselves to work effectively in a variety of circumstances and floods conditions from flash flood, intra-urban flooding and prolonged flood events. Whether it be the success of barrier systems which have protected whole communities like those installed by Bauer in Bewdley and Geodesign Barriers Ltd used in Ironbridge or individual properties protected by Flodef, Floodguard, Floodgate, Flood Control and Flood Sentry the outcomes have been very positive and they have not gone un-noticed by some insurers.

 

Their use in localised pilot schemes like Elgin, Carlisle, Monmouth and other areas recognises that these systems offer an effective solution to many properties which would never meet the cost benefit criteria for a civil solution if one was feasible, which they are not in many cases. The schemes being put into Worcester, Bewdley, York and other areas will significantly add to the number of properties brought within current acceptable flood risk levels by the use of temporary and demountable solutions. 

 

Of the 380,000 plus properties at significant risk of flood only 80,000 have been protected in the last three years by largely civil solutions. These have tended to be the ‘simpler’ more cost effective projects where larger conurbations could be protected leaving the more difficult, smaller, strung out communities and therefore more expensive projects still outstanding which will require greater future investment.

 

Despite the agreements reached between the ABI and Elliot Morley last November it seems that rather than being extended to £750m by 2011 the current £570m budget has now to suffer significant cutbacks of some £23m by the new Secretary of State Rt Hon David Miliband MP and Minister of State Ian Pearson MP. This is yet another significant ‘U’ turn, like Home Information Packs, and one which could be considered extremely foolish given the Governments recognition for some years that global warming and the consequential impacts on extreme weather patterns is increasing flood risk and the likely consequential cost on the population and assets at risk. In April 2004 the Governments Chief Scientist David King said in the ‘Foresight Report’ that Global warming was a bigger treat that global terrorism and eminent scientists now believe that extreme storms are more likely to be stronger and more frequent than predicted. and Minister of State . This is yet another significant ‘U’ turn, like Home Information Packs, and one which could be considered extremely foolish given the Governments recognition for some years that global warming and the consequential impacts on extreme weather patterns is increasing flood risk and the likely consequential cost on the population and assets at risk. In April 2004 the Governments Chief Scientist David King said in the ‘Foresight Report’ that Global warming was a bigger treat that global terrorism and eminent scientists now believe that extreme storms are more likely to be stronger and more frequent than predicted.

 

The Governments Policy under ‘Making Space for Water’, which was fully supported by all stakeholders including the FPA, offers the necessary foresight of a more sustainable way forward.

 

It was only finalised in 2005 and it would seem that many of the initiatives propounded could well be in jeopardy less than a year later given the severe budget cutbacks being implemented when the planned projects are in their infancy. 

 

Proposals for a grant scheme in England have stalled when this could offer an effective answer to encouraging ‘self-help’ where there is no prospect of many properties meeting the cost benefit criteria for a civil solution. It would also offer the prospect of more properties being brought within acceptable flood risk levels and at lower cost as a significant part is likely to be contributed by the property owners and there would not be the ongoing maintenance and overhead costs associated with traditional civil solutions.

 

Temporary and Demountable systems could provide a way to protect many of the properties which could not be protected by traditional means and at less cost, for example, many properties suffering from ‘flash floods’ could be adequately protected for between £3-6,000 depending on the number of openings, airbricks etc.

 

These proven solutions should be being extended rather than face the possibility of remaining on the back burner and the likelihood of many flood victims not receiving an equitable solution to reduce their flood risk to acceptable levels for the insurers to maintain flood cover.

 

 

Ron Whitehead FRICS, FBEng.

FPA CHAIRMAN

 

 

 

 

 

E-mail: info@floodprotectionassoc.org

 

Web: www.floodprotectionassoc.org