The new arrangements will hopefully go some way to resolving concerns aired by roundtable participants at our recent NCE Future of Floods event, with further discussions about the topic likely to be held at Flood & Coast 2020. But monies will still be tight and it is vital that local authorities look ahead now and shape their plans to capture the benefits of the new model as soon as they are able.
More detailed analysis is required
Traditional flood alleviation schemes were designed with one primary purpose, and perhaps unsurprisingly the focus was simple: avoiding flooding. The old assessment system was similarly “broad brushstroke”, only looking at damage caused directly by flooding. However, it is now accepted that a well-designed, strategic flood scheme can introduce a range of benefits to a community that are felt on a day-to-day basis, not just when flood protection is provided.
A wide range of bodies can apply for FCERM Grant in Aid (government money) through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency, including local communities, businesses, developers and local councils. Effectively, anyone who benefits from an FCERM project can be a partner.
Local authorities are therefore embracing more imaginative approaches. Langstone, near Havant in Hampshire, faces increased risk from coastal flooding and erosion and needed a clear plan to alleviate these risks whilst also safeguarding the environment and appeal of the local area. Protecting the beauty and peace of the village as well as maintaining coastal access is crucial for maintaining the wellbeing of residents.
AECOM, working with the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership (ESCP), has developed a scheme for Langstone that reduces flood risk, balancing as much as possible the competing community, environmental and flood risk objectives. The scheme aims to deliver defences that are sympathetic to the current frontage such as flip-up barriers in some areas. These are only activated when there is a specific risk of flooding and have been proposed to reduce visual impacts as well as prevent sterilisation of areas of land for access and parking. In other areas, flint-clad flood walls are proposed to mitigate the impact of modern engineering in this tranquil and historic setting.
Critically, the plans also incorporate maintenance and improvement of coastal access. Should this scheme be taken forward it will safeguard key community assets so they can benefit from the scheme on a daily basis.
A greater range of available funding
There are major demands on local authority budgets at present and making the case for investment in flood prevention can be challenging. However, local authorities can apply for both Grant in Aid and an expanded range of sources of funding if they make the case, for example, that schemes support and facilitate economic prosperity and growth, or enhance the local environment.
Working with the ESCP, AECOM delivered a wider benefits and economic footprint study for a large iconic coastal protection scheme in Southsea. The valuation of local and regional economic benefits provided the evidence base required to support a funding application to the Local Enterprise Partnership, because many businesses face substantial flood risk. AECOM tools were able to show that flooding would prevent businesses from operating for a substantial period of time, with resultant pressure on jobs and detrimental impacts to the local economy.
In Langstone, an application has been made to Highways England's Environment Designated Fund (EDF), because the proposed plan would help safeguard the sole highway link to Hayling Island against flooding. Funding here is also coming from Havant Borough Council's Community Infrastructure Levy. In other regions, AECOM has assisted agencies in submitting requests to private companies to support flood schemes. AECOM helped the Environment Agency put together a proposal for the Bourn River in Birmingham, setting out the detailed financial case as to why a large local organisation might choose to invest in a flood scheme which would provide it with considerable benefit and resilience.
The new Partnership Funding framework should also help smaller projects gain recognition by making the process simpler and more accessible. There is also an important change to risk bands with the introduction of an “intermediate” risk that provides greater granularity to resolve, recognise and provide funding support for schemes offering more modest flood risk improvements. Traditionally they may have struggled, with communities missing out on the wider benefits they will also deliver.
