Agenda item

The Public Rights of Way Officer will be in attendance to provide an update on Flood Risk Management.

 

Recommendation: Panel to determine whether further information is required.

The Public Rights of Way Officer gave an update on flood risk management.

 

Following major floods in 2007, the Pitt Report recommended that Local Authorities’ scrutiny committees should receive an annual summary of actions taken locally to manage flood risk. 

 

World weather patterns were changing and it was essential that authorities responded by planning ahead and increasing resilience to the changing demands of climate change.  Potential risks of climate change included wetter winters, hotter summers and rising sea levels.  Extreme weather events were likely to happen more frequently and with more intense isolated downpours during summer that could lead to more regular flooding.  There was therefore an increasing need for authorities and the public to adapt and prepare for these conditions.

 

Middlesbrough’s drainage system was extensive and complex in nature, comprising open and culverted watercourses and a surface water/combined sewerage system.  Parts of the highway drainage network dated back to the early 1900s and little was currently known about its capacity and condition and it was therefore uncertain how it would cope with increased rainfall.  Over the years there had been increased flooding from the highway drainage network due to reduced capacity within the road gullies and the drainage network.  Ground water levels were rising as a result of increased rain during the summer, thus reducing the ground’s capacity to take the increasing amount of rainfall in the winter and resulted in greater instance of surface water runoff. 

 

The Environment Agency (EA) had produced a map showing areas where it predicted surface water would collect in Middlesbrough when there was a one in one hundred year storm event. 

 

Flooding could come from a variety of sources including surface water run-off, ordinary watercourses and surcharging sewers.  Surface water flooding occurred when intense rainfall, often of short duration, was unable to permeate into the ground or enter the drainage systems quickly enough, resulting in ponding or overland flows.  This could cause considerable problems in urban areas such as Middlesbrough.  Middlesbrough was one of the worst areas affected by surface water flooding in the north east due to its urban nature and the presence of clay close to the surface.

 

The Council worked closely with Northumbrian Water (NWL) on Integrated Drainage Studies.  Middlesbrough had four or five drainage areas which were catchment areas where the water fell and was collected into specific drains.   The strategic studies highlighted and prioritised the areas of greatest risk from flooding within each of the catchment areas.  Stage 1 of a study focussed on the collection, collation, analysis and prioritisation of information to identify areas of high risk from flooding.  Stage 2 focussed on identifying opportunities within the top three or four high risk areas to reduce or prevent flooding.  The results of the studies provided all the information required to apply to the EA for funding for flood management schemes.

 

Currently there was one study in progress which was in Middlesbrough East.  Stage 1 was undertaken in 2018 and identified 10 flood risk areas.  Three of those areas were taken to Stage 2 and that study began in 2019 and was predicted to be completed by June 2021. 

 

Funding could be achieved either through the EA and central government funding or through local levy which was collected through council tax.  Funding could be used for studies or for ground work.  The EA’s six year programme, called the ‘Medium Term Plan’ ended in 2020.  Middlesbrough had received funding for schemes in Saltersgill, Ormesby Hall are and Cornwall Close.

 

The Council now had to submit schemes to be included the next six year programme – the ‘Long Term Plan’ for Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA). 

 

The schemes submitted by Middlesbrough were:

 

Gresham Road and Newport.

Lawnswood Road.

Barrington Crescent.

Pallister.

Berwick Hills.

Thornfield Road.

Whinney Banks.

Connaught Road, Nunthorpe.

Shevington Grove, Marton.

 

It was confirmed that funding would be forthcoming to investigate the potential benefits of all the schemes.    Four of the schemes; Lawnswood Road, Barrington Crescent, Pallister and Berwick Hills, were within the East Middlesbrough study area.  These nine schemes would potentially protect 588 homes.

 

The Council continued to investigate the highway drainage system, which had not been previously recorded or mapped.  The aim was to increase knowledge of the system and the interactions with sewers and watercourses.  The system could then be repaired and cleansed as appropriate.  The Council undertook regular maintenance of the gullies and worked to resolve any flooding issues when the occurred.

 

The Council also continued to work with Developers to ensure that Sustainable Drainage (SuDs) techniques were part of all major developments.  In partnership with the Planning Department there was a draft Green Blue Infrastructure Plan that looked at the whole of Middlesbrough, what green spaces there were and what benefits could be brought to those areas.  Middlesbrough needed the green spaces to be able to hold water and also undertake schemes to hold water back.  The Council also considered how the same areas could be utilised, for example schools having ponds in their grounds. 

 

A detailed update was provided on progress with current schemes which included:

 

Saltersgill Fields - creation of ponds and scrapes and a bund to better protect 306 properties.  Although slightly delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic and also unprecedented rainfall, the scheme was completed in November 2020, on budget, and with additional benefits.  The additional benefits included the installation of a footpath across the fields and a knee rail around the overflow car park to prevent vehicular access to the fields.  In response to a query it was acknowledged that the knee rail was not effective against motorcycles but it did prevent other vehicles from accessing the fields.

 

Cornwall Close – creation of a bund and deflection of surface water into highway drains to provide flood risk reduction to 3 properties.  Funding had been approved and planning permission would be submitted soon and construction would begin later this year.

 

Ormesby High Street – creation of a bund, flood defence wall and some property level protection.  This revised scheme covered two flow paths with potentially 100 homes better protected compared to the original 18.  The EA had recently undertaken works to the trash screen on the culvert to allow water to flow through more quickly.

 

Another major scheme during the last year was the Marton West Beck Scheme which was managed by the EA in partnership with Middlesbrough Council.    The aim of this scheme was to reduce the amount of water coming downstream so that the lower stream culverts could cope.  A series of bunds had been created in Albert Park to hold water back, the height of the wall at the side of the Park had been raised, and the lake was now utilised as a water storage area.  The trash screen at the north east end of Albert Park had also been improved with a lateral screen added.  Work had also been undertaken at Borough Road where the flood walls had been improved.  A series of bunds had also been created upstream, near to Nature’s World, which would hold the water back and release it gradually into the beck.   The scheme on target to be completed by March 2021.

 

A Member raised concern in relation to the work at Nature’s World and drainage area that had been formed but did not appear to be holding water.  The Officer explained that there were different types of SuDs.  Ponds would hold water all the time and release it gradually, whereas bunds would only fill up when there was a one in one hundred years type storm event.

 

Responding to a query, the Officer explained that in relation to new housing developments, he provided comment on all planning applications in relation to the design of flood management.  All developers had a legal responsibility to ensure that all water was managed on site.

 

The Chair thanked the Officer for his presentation.

 

AGREED that the information provided was received and noted.