Delivering fl flood risk betterment through the planning system - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Delivering fl flood risk betterment through the planning system Laura Kitson – Environment Agency

OVERVIEW • The Great Ouse catchment and the challenge of growth • Responding to the challenge of growth: turning around two assumptions: • Flood risk management as an enabler of growth, not a barrier • Development as an opportunity to reduce flood risk, rather than increase it

RIVER GREAT OUSE CATCHMENT

SCALE OF GROWTH

GROWTH PROGRAMMES BEYOND THE CATCHMENT… The Cambridge - Milton Keynes - Oxford growth represents huge potential for growth over the coming decades. 1 Million new Described as the ‘brain belt’ or the ‘UK’s homes Silicon Valley’, the corridor benefits from productive and fast growing cities, Roads Rail a highly skilled labour force and cutting- edge research facilities and technology clusters.

… SUPPORTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

STRATEGIC IN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING • Growth corridor crosses two major catchments – Thames and Great Ouse • Similarities and differences across the catchments • Working to identify strategic infrastructure needs across both catchments

FLOOD MANAGEMENT AS IN INFRASTRUCTURE IN INVESTMENT • Highly favourable return compared to other sectors • £1 of flood risk funding brings on average £8 of benefits for capital activity and up to £30 of betterment through flood risk regulation and planning activities • DCLG (Local Government) – 1:2 or over is ‘high value for money’ • DFT (Transport) – 1:4 or over is ‘very high’ in their value for money categorisation • The RAC have reported that • Road Schemes return 1:4 – 1:5 • Rail Schemes return 1:2 – 1:3 • Local public transport returns 1:1.7

USING EXISTING RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO GROWTH Working with Local Authority members Advocating strategic use of Local Levy to prepare for the growth agenda

PLANNING POLICY – NPPF

PLANNING POLICY - NPPG

CREATING CAPACITY IN IN LLFAs • Gained statutory Cambridgeshire LLFA consultations by month consultee role for surface water flood risk in 2015 • Significant workload from statutory responsibilities • Basic requirement is to ensure no increase in flood risk • Limited capacity for seeking betterment

STRATEGIC FLOOD RIS ISK PLANNING ADVISOR ROLE • Achieving betterment, not just no net increase in flood risk • Creating capacity for LLFAs Development Local plans and • Enabling a catchment wide sites policy approach • Cross boundary thinking and projects • Sharing best practice on common challenges Training

SUMMARY Two key approaches to delivering flood risk betterment through the planning system • Flood risk management as an enabler of growth, not a barrier • Development as an opportunity to reduce flood risk, rather than increase it What are we doing across the catchment to make this a reality? • Catchment scale infrastructure planning • Planning flood management infrastructure in from the very start • Engaging with the planning system • Partnership working across the water management sector