Flood Concerns for the Rivers Trent, Tame, Severn and Wye
Submission to the Environment Agency
January 2011
This paper summarises the key concerns the West Midlands business community
has in respect of the flood risk in respect of the rivers Trent, Tame, Severn and Wye.
The paper also suggests methods for improving flood mitigation and flood prevention
which the Environment Agency could consider.
River Wye
Flooding from the River Wye would have an immediate impact upon food security
issues with valued agricultural land being under threat – as demonstrated by the
following map:
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With food security now key concern, then the need to mitigate the risk of flooding
from the River Wye is greater than ever. The Lower Wye has very fertile agricultural
land grade 1 – 3. The Lower Wye has productive arable land. Farmers are familiar
with winter floods. However, summer floods have high cost implications to farmers
when crops are lost close to harvest.
For this specific river, the Environment Agency is recommended to maintain
watercourses before other options are considered. This is the most cost effective
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way to address flood risk in this area. This does not mean businesses do not also
have a role to play but it does mean that the active role of the Environment Agency
would result in businesses playing a value added role to flood prevention and
mitigation rather than having a system of ad hoc initiatives to address this issue.
We would also encourage the Environment Agency to consider practices that delay
and reduce water run-off and sediment transport that could reduce peak flows but
possibly increase the risks of flood peaks coinciding with some tributaries
downstream.
When there are new developments in the Lower Wye then surface water run off
should be mitigated to reduce peak flows or delaying the peak of flood water.
The Rotherwas Industrial Estate in Hereford is a key asset to Herefordshire’s future
economic success. The new Rotherwas road has helped allieviate some of the flood
risk for this area. However, there have been reports that the Environment Agency
has stopped monitoring river levels in this area due to vandalism on equipment.
While we condemn unequivocally this vandalism, we would also encourage the
Environment Agency to resume this monitoring as mapping and data is critical to
consider new flood mitigation techniques – and also for an early warning system for
the key businesses on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate.
River Tame
Parts of the River Tame area, such as Birmingham and the Black Country, are particularly
prone to groundwater flooding. As stated in the report, Regional Floods Appraisal, produced
by the old West Midlands Regional Assembly in March 2009, it states that with the water
table rising due to the decline in manufacturing industry combined with climate change, this
means that the Black Country and Birmingham are at a “high risk” of flooding. We
understand that this state of affairs would be aggravated by potential flooding from the River
Tame.
Therefore, business is concerned by the following statement from the West Midlands
Regional Assembly report:
There is currently no one organisation with responsibility to respond to groundwater flooding
(Para 4.5.15)
Business believes that this situation should not continue and it should be made clear in the
River Tame strategy that the Environment Agency assumes responsibility for dealing with
groundwater flooding. Such a clear statement would give reassurance to business, as well
as residents, that clear lines of responsibility is in place to deal with flooding in the River
Tame area – rather than confusion as to different bodies being responsible for different
forms of flooding in the River Tame area.
We also support the Environment Agency in taking a lead to ensure there is an early warning
system for flooding from the Tame. This is a matter of grave concern for businesses who
became acutely aware of the lack of warning in 2007 of the oncoming floods caused, in part,
by a lack of a joined up warning approach between the Environment Agency and the
Meteological Office. We understand lessons have been learnt between these two
organisations so that co-ordination is improved in order that the mistakes of 2007 do not
happen again.
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The River Tame states:
Unless otherwise stated these figures refer to the number of properties that would be flooded
in a flood event with a 1% probability of occurring (page 6).
We would propose that for the strategy to have any utility over the medium term it needs to
consider future housing developments in the River Tame area as well as existing properties
when presenting its plans for flood defences. This is in line with the statement made by the
Environment Agency during the Examination in Public that considered the Phase Two review
of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). While the RSS has now been
abolished the relevance of the statement is still valid for potential house building in this
economic growth area.
We note that the River Tame flood catchment area lies close to the country’s largest inland
oil depot at Kingsbury in Warwickshire. The security of this depot is critical for business
continuity as well as for the strategic interests of the country.
We would therefore request clarification that the proposals included in the draft document
will provide full security to the depot from flooding.
River Severn
There continues to be local concern that flood defences may not arrive in time in
case of emergencies occurring at Upton on Severn, Tenbury Wells and Bewdley.
Assurances from the Environment Agency in respect of this matter would help allay
local concerns.
River Trent
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