Report to the Cabinet Member for Environment, Planning and Cultural Services
Report submitted by: Head of Service Highways
Date: 17 September 2015
Part I
Electoral Division affected:
Morecambe North;
Slyne-with-Hest Flood Alleviation Scheme Additional Funding - Capital
Programme
Contact for further information:
Elizabeth Lowe, 01772 536420, Flood Risk Management Engineer
elizabeth.lowe@lancashire.gov.uk
Janet Wilson, 01772 538647, Commissioning Manager (Live Well),
janet.wilson@lancshire.gov.uk
Executive Summary
This report seeks approval to add £75,000 from Defra's Flood and Coastal Erosion
Risk Management (FCRM) Grant in Aid (GiA) into Lancashire County Council's
2015/16 Capital Programme. The grant will be used to support the implementation
of a revised flood risk management scheme to upgrade the surface water drainage
system that will assist with flood alleviation within the catchment of Slyne-with-Hest.
Recommendation
The Cabinet Member for Environment, Planning and Cultural Services is
recommended to approve the addition of £75,000 from Defra into the 2015/16
Capital programme to enable the implementation of a flood alleviation scheme at
Slyne-with-Hest.
Background and Advice
The area of Slyne-with-Hest has a long standing problem with flooding. In prolonged
periods of heavy rainfall the culvert and the other natural drainage in the area cannot
cope causing the water table in Hest bank Lane area to become saturated and
causing extensive flooding to property, cellars and gardens as well as affecting the
highway network . In turn the surface water flooding leads to overloading of the
sewers, and surcharging of the foul water system.
The county council's Flood Risk Management Team successfully bid for a grant of
£408,000 from Defra in October 2014 to undertake works to alleviate the flooding at
Slyne-with-Hest. It has been estimated by the Environment Agency that undertaking
these works will be worth £2,880,000 in overall benefit to the community.
Subsequent to this in November / December 2014 United Utilities installed a new foul
water sewer in Hest Bank Lane along the alignment of the proposed culvert.
In March 2015 LCC became aware of this new foul water sewer and identified that the
foul water sewer would prevent the installation of the proposed upgraded surface
water culvert.
To avoid statutory undertaker's apparatus in the highway and to enable the
construction of the new surface water drainage system a revised scheme and working
methods have been necessary at an additional estimated cost of £75,000.
On 30th July the Environment Agency notified the Flood Risk management Team than
an additional bid for £75,000 has been accepted.
This report is therefore seeking approval to bring the £75,000 of funding from Defra
into the 2015/16 LCC Capital Programme.
Consultations
Lancashire County Council has consulted with the EA regarding the additional funding.
Implications:
The additional grant will enable the completion of the scheme without any cost to the
county councils capital programme.
The scheme consists of a gravity based system with no mechanical infrastructure and
therefore has less financial implications for the county council in the short and medium
term
Risk management
64 residential properties in the vicinity of the culvert have previously experienced
internal property flooding due to the insufficient capacity of the culvert and
approximately a further 26 properties are at risk. There is also major infrastructure
including a foul pumping station and electricity sub-station at risk.
Not completing the identified works could further increase the flood risk to these
properties and cause long term damage to the highway infrastructure.
Financial
The design, construction and management of this scheme will be fully funded from
Defra's Coastal Erosion Grant in Aid (FCRM GiA) Capital Funding programme. The
maintenance of the existing drainage asset is funded by the highway maintenance
revenue budget; this capital investment will help minimise future costs.
List of Background Papers
Paper
Date
Contact/Tel
Lancashire and Blackpool
Local Flood Risk Management
Strategy 2014/2017
April 2014
Rachel Crompton,
Highways Services
01772 530150
Report to EDMT
November 2014
Elizabeth Lowe, Highway
Services, 01772 534620
Report to the Cabinet Member
for Public Protection and
Waste
December 2014
Elizabeth Lowe, Highway
Services, 01772 534620
Reason for inclusion in Part II, if appropriate
N/A.