East Cornwall CFMP

managingflood risk

May 2008

East CornwallCatchment Flood Management Plan– summary of draft plan

East Cornwall CFMP.QXD 5/15/08 12:51 PM

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The Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP) providesan overview of flood risk management in a particularcatchment.

We are producing a range of CFMPs that will cover thewhole of England and Wales. CFMPs look at flooding fromall sources except for coastal flooding from the sea,which is considered in Shoreline Management Plans.

CFMPs will guide our future investment and activities inmanaging flood risk in a river catchment. They will helpus decide how flood risks might change and be managedover the next 100 years.

The East Cornwall CFMP contains policies and guidancethat will help us and our partners decide the best ways tomanage future flood risk. Climate change, urbandevelopment and land use management all have a biginfluence on these decisions.

We want the final plan to be used by organisationsinvolved in land use planning, rural development,agriculture, transport, recreation, nature conservationand protection of the historic environment. This willensure that flood risk management and our futureproposals are taken into account in their policies andplans.

We have consulted local authorities and many others,such as Natural England and South West Water, and weare now asking a wider range of people and organisationsfor their views on the draft plan. In particular we wouldlike your comments on the proposed policies andactions.

We will carefully consider all comments we receive inproducing the final CFMP.

We are the Environment Agency. It’s our job to look afteryour environment and make it a better place – for you,and for future generations.

It will never be possible to prevent flooding entirely. Butwhat we can do is work with local authorities and othersto manage floods. This means we can reduce both thechance and the impact of flooding.

This leaflet is a summary of our draft East CornwallCatchment Flood Management Plan.

It aims to:

• inform interested groups and individuals about currentflood risks;

• explain how flooding is likely to change in the future;

• find out your views on our flood risk managementpolicies and actions.

To get the full report and give us your views, please seethe back page.

What’s the draft plan about?

Introduction

Above: Flood flows on the River Camel at Slaughterbridge near Camelford in August 2004

Front cover: Cars swept away by flooding from the River Pol at Mill Hill Bridge in Polperro in December 1993

TYPE_6_EAST_CORNWALL_V1.QXD 5/22/08 3:47 PM

The East Cornwall CFMP includes a range of rivercatchments varying in size from only a few squarekilometres to the Camel catchment, which is the largestat 235 square kilometres (90 square miles).

Key rivers include the Camel, Allen, Fowey, Menalhyl,Gannel, Valency, Strat, Neet, Pol and Seaton. Theprincipal urban centres are Newquay, Padstow andWadebridge in the north-west, Bodmin and Fowey in thesouth-west, Bude in the north, Liskeard in the east andLooe on the south coast.

Area: 1,400 square kilometres (540 square miles).

Population: 146,000.

Annual rainfall: Varies from 850millimetres (33 inches)on the coast to more than 1,800mm (70in) over BodminMoor. This is a lot more than the average for England andWales of 920mm (36in).

Land use: The catchment is predominantly grassland,arable and horticultural, and woodland (93 per cent).Urban areas cover only five per cent of the catchment.

Environmental designations: Eight Special Areas ofConservation, two National Nature Reserves, 46 Sites ofSpecial Scientific Interest and 190 County Wildlife Sites.

Geology: The south and north of the area are dominatedby Devonian slates. To the east Bodmin Moor is mainlygranite. Generally there is little surface geology and mostof the region is underlain by solid rock. This means thatthere are a number of fast flashy catchments in the EastCornwall area, particularly on the north coast.

Topography: The catchment includes landscape rangingfrom rocky coastline to undulating farmland. Most of thecatchment is rolling grassland, valleys and heaths. Anumber of rivers fall from St Breock Downs in the westand from Bodmin Moor, which is the highest area (about360 metres above sea level) in the east of the catchment.In the far north of the catchment a plateau of high groundgives rise to numerous short streams and rivers.

A full description of the catchment can be seen in chapter2 of the draft report.

Catchment description

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Map of the EastCornwallcatchmentshowing the maintowns and rivers


Flooding in East Cornwall is mainly from rivers but thereare also significant risks from the sea, sewage andhighway drainage. Risks to people, property andinfrastructure are concentrated in Wadebridge and Looe,with high numbers also at risk in Bude and Lostwithiel.

The average cost of flood damage to buildings is currently£22 million a year. In addition, several sites withenvironmental designations are affected by flooding.

There has been widespread flooding across thecatchment, most notably in August 2004 when more than60 properties were flooded in Boscastle and CrackingtonHaven and in December 1999 when many properties wereflooded in Bude, Lostwithiel and Sladesbridge.

Current flood risk management includes:

• Risk mapping – A major part of the programme is theFlood Zone Improvements. This is focused on improvingthe mapping at high-risk places.

• Managing development – Our development controlteam supports the planning process by ensuring that newdevelopments have the appropriate flood riskassessments and follow PPS25 (Government PlanningPolicy Statement on flood risk).

• Flood warning – A warning system is in place forseveral of the larger towns such as Wadebridge andLostwithiel.

• Flood defence schemes – We have large flood defenceschemes in places such as Wadebridge, Bude,Sladesbridge and Polperro.

• Maintenance – We spend more than £125,000 a yearon maintaining channels and defences, with localauthorities carrying out a large amount of further work.This includes maintenance, monitoring and operatingflood defence structures.

A full explanation of current flood risks can be seen inchapter 3 of the draft report.

Flood risk now and how it’s managed

The River Fowey overtops its banks at The Parade, Lostwithiel, in December 1999

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We work with local authorities, water companies and other organisations tomanage flood risk. We spend a significant amount each year on flood riskmanagement but people, property and the environment remain at risk fromflooding in parts of the catchment.


Our conclusions from these studies are set out below.

Climate change

Climate change will bring more winter rainfall. Higheraverage summer temperatures will mean a greater risk ofthunderstorms and flash flooding. Guidance from Defrasuggests this could increase river flows by 20 per cent by2100.

Sea level is predicted to rise by more than 800mm (30in)by 2100 which will increase tidal flooding.

Urban development

The most significant increases in urban development arelikely to be in Newquay and Bodmin. If not managed thiscould increase run-off and flood risk.

Land use and management

There is a strong link between how the land is used andmanaged and the run-off generated by a plot or individualfield. However, we are still researching the effect that theuse and management of rural land has on flooding at acatchment scale.

There could be an increase in flow of about 10 per centacross East Cornwall by 2100 if changes in land useremain unchecked.

Summary of key future flood risks

Flood risk will increase. Bude, Bodmin, Looe, Lostwithiel,Wadebridge and Polperro are likely to experience thegreatest flood risk.

The detailed assessment of future flood risks can befound in chapter 4 of the draft report.

What the future could bring

A man strugglesagainstfloodwatersweepingthrough thecentre ofPolperro inDecember 1993

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We have investigated possible changes in the East Cornwall catchment andlooked at the effects of climate change, urban development and other changes inland use.


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Above: A helicopter flies in to rescue people trapped in the Boscastle floods of August 2004 Photo: Pam Durrant

Below: An engineer checks levels in the deepened channel of the River Valency at Boscastle in June 2007 – theEnvironment Agency is spending £4.6 million on improvements to reduce flood risk in the village, including deepeningand widening the Valency, after completing flood risk improvements on the lower River Jordan


The main aim of the CFMP is to develop policies for flood risk management withinthe East Cornwall catchment now and in the future.

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Our objectives for the catchment

We have developed detailed objectives for the management of flood risk in the catchment. We have used these toassess which policies are the most appropriate.

Social objectives

• Prevent injuries and loss of life from flooding.

• Reduce flood risk to vulnerable communities and protect and improve recreation facilities where possible.

Economic objectives

• Reduce flood risk to residential, commercial and industrial property.

• Reduce flood risk to critical infrastructure, in particular the A30, A38 and main railway line.

• Minimise disturbance to agricultural land.

Environmental objectives

• Protect and work with natural river processes, and restore streams and rivers to their natural state

• Protect and improve nationally-important wildlife sites and protected habitats and species.

• Prevent pollution resulting from flooding of urban and agricultural land.

• Protect the quality of land and encourage changes in land use management to reduce run-off.

• Protect and enhance heritage features.

• Protect and enhance landscape character and visual amenity.

We have also considered what else is going on in the catchment that our objectives may help to achieve (theopportunities) and also what could limit our success in achieving them (the constraints).

More detail of the objectives, opportunities and constraints for future management can be seen in chapter 5 of the draftreport.

This couplehad to berescued byhelicopterfrom the roofof theirbungalowafter it wassurrounded byfloods fromthe River Neetin August2004


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Above: Shops sandbagged against floods on Fowey’s Town Quay in March 2006

Below: Church Square in Bodmin awash with floodwater in September 2003


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The following alternative policies (P1 to P6) wereconsidered. These policies are being used for all CFMPsacross England and Wales.

P1 No active intervention

This policy applies where there is little or no flood risk topeople, property and the environment and no existingflood risk management. We will continue to monitor andadvise.

P2 Reduce existing flood risk management actions

This policy means accepting the current and futureincreases in flood risk. It applies to areas where there iscurrently some flood risk management but existing andfuture risks are not enough to justify these activities.

P3 Continue existing or alternative actions

With this policy the current scale of flood riskmanagement is sufficient. We accept that flood risk willincrease over time and will not increase our activities todeal with this rise in risk.

P4 Take further action to sustain the current scale offlood risk

This policy applies where the current risk is acceptablebut future changes are expected to have a significantimpact. Flood risk management activities need to respondto the potential increases in flood risk.

P5 Take further action to reduce flood risk

This is a policy to reduce the risk where the consequencesof flooding are currently too high andwill continue to increase in the future.The action can include improving floodrisk management and reducing, or evenremoving, development in thefloodplain.

P6 Take action to increase thefrequency of flooding

Risk will be reduced in the catchmentoverall by implementing this policywhere an increase in the frequency,duration or magnitude of flooding willbe beneficial. This is likely to apply toupper catchment areas where there areopportunities to restore the floodplainor there are environmental benefitssuch as habitat creation. Throughstoring water this policy can reduce riskdownstream. This policy is not intendedto increase risk to people and property.

See plan on p10 showing policieschosen for each unit.

Chapter 6 of the draft report has moredetail on how and why we chose thepolicies for each unit.

We divided the catchment into policy units with similar flood risk characteristics.We then considered alternative policies for these units and decided which wouldbest achieve the social, economic and environmental objectives.

How we chose policies

Left: Flooding from the Trenance Streamand high tide affects shops in the centreof Newquay in the 1960s


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Policies for the catchmentWe have chosen the policies and policy units set out in the map below.


Bodmin Moor – Policy 6

• Investigate flow storage by enhancing wetland in the Upper Fowey, and using Siblyback Reservoir, Colliford Lake and disused china clay workings.

Fowey and Seaton Valleys – Policy 4

• Maintain existing standard of protection at Polperro.

• Prepare Surface Water Management Plan for Liskeard.

• Improve A38 drainage east of Bodmin.

• Investigate the links between land managementpractices, run-off and flood risk.

South Coast Tidal – Policy 5

• Investigate measures to reduce flood risk at Looe,Fowey and Seaton.

• Review options to reduce flood risk at Lostwithiel.

• Maintain existing tidal defences at Polperro.

• Create community-based tidal warnings.

Camel Valley – Policy 3

• Maintain current scale of management in Camelford,Lanivet and Bodmin.


• Relocate Bodmin Fire Station in long term.

• Raise and maintain awareness of flood risk and self-help measures.

Camel Tidal – Policy 5

• Maintain existing defences and improve flood warningat Sladesbridge.

• Review flood risk at Wadebridge and undertake work toreduce risk if justified.

• Prepare Surface Water Management Plan forWadebridge.


Gannel and Mawgan Vale – Policy 3

• Maintain existing defences at Mawgan Porth and StColumb Major.

• Review flood risk in Newquay and ensure PPS25 isapplied to new development.

North Coast Rivers – Policy 4

• Maintain existing standard of protection for Boscastle.

• Progress with the outcomes of the Rapid ResponseCatchment Study.

• Raise and maintain awareness of flood risk and self-help measures.

• Continue targeted channel maintenance.


Bude and Stratton – Policy 5

• Review flood risk at Bude and undertake work toreduce risk if justified.

• Maintain existing defences at Stratton, Flexbury andHelebridge.


Welcombe and Coombe Valleys – Policy 1

• No active intervention.

To find out how we would like each organisation to beinvolved in implementing these actions, please seechapter 7 of the draft report.

We will meet the catchment objectives and deliver the policies by implementingthe action plan outlined below. To achieve these actions we must work with otherorganisations including local authorities, Natural England and South West Water.

How we plan to manage flood risk

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GESW0508BMTS-E-P Editing & design: Westword Printed on Take 2 Silk made from post-consumer waste

We want your views on the draft plan and will consider them in the production of the final plan.

Once we have published the East Cornwall CFMP, we will monitor how it is being used and that its policies andactions are being achieved. The CFMP will be a ‘living document’ that develops as we improve our understanding offlood risk and will be reviewed at least every six years.

Next steps

Your views are vital for our public consultation on this draft plan. It is available on a CD from Steve Stanbridge – toobtain a copy, email [email protected], call him on 01392 442152 or write to him atthe address below.

You can also study a printed copy of the draft plan at our Cornwall Area office at Sir John Moore House, VictoriaSquare, Bodmin. The office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

More information is available from our website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk/cfmp

We will consider all comments we receive before 27 June 2008. Please email them [email protected] or post them to:

Steve StanbridgeEnvironment AgencyManley HouseKestrel WayExeterEX2 7LQ

How to comment

Flooding from the River Gannel at Newquay in September 1974 – we plan to reduce the risk of floods like this


East Cornwall CFMP

Technology

Transcript of East Cornwall CFMP