Lower Alt with Crossens Pumped Drainage Area Strategic Planning_rashirres-1Apr11\BriefingNote\LwrA_C_WrkshpOutputCmmtry02.doc
Lower Alt with Crossens Pumped Drainage Area Strategic Planning
Workshop on Sustainability and Land Use, 17th February, 2011 ~ Briefing Note on Workshop & Output
The Strategy
Since 2008 EA NCPMS have been the project manager to deliver the Strategy on behalf of North Area. The brief for this Strategy was
assembled in late 2008, during the closing stages of the Alt Crossens CFMP and, following procurement, the consultant J2A (ie. JBA, Jacobs
& Arup) began work in spring 2009. Work proceeded throughout 2009 and 2010 until, with a draft Strategy Report imminent, it was
decided to hold an Area workshop to help ensure key issues were adequately represented in the Report. To date a draft SEA scoping
report has been issued for consultation. Reference:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Final_Lower_Alt_Crossens_PDC_FRMSP_Scoping_Consultation_Document.pdf
Rationale for the Workshop
Whilst this Strategy is funded from FCRM, it is already clear that some change is needed to help reconcile some continuation of the land
use and the Environment Agency’s need to prioritise its resources for flood risk management and the protection of people and properties.
Ultimately, the formulation of future water management must be reconciled with a model of sustainable land use. The work shop was held
to help inform a vision for more sustainable land use and how it may better evolve in the catchment.
The Workshop
The half day event was broadly split into two; comprising presentations followed by work shop sessions. Of 19 attendees, with one
exception from Natural England, all were from the Agency or part of the project team. Several presentations were given to improve the
overall understanding of some of the scope of the studies to date but particularly about the strategic, as well as operational issues.
Facilitation of Workshop Sessions using Ketso
Ketso is a hands-on kit for creative engagement. The approach was trialled within a 280ha urban area around the River Irk in 2003. This
enabled the local community to develop landscape & ecological visions whilst the process of 12 community meetings proved itself
successful in capacity building. The EA has used Ketso previously. In 2004, it was used in developing a series of workshops to discuss River
Basin Planning Strategy. Subsequently, in 2006, a project used Ketso to help develop and facilitate stakeholder engagement in planning.
Further information about Ketso is available at: http://www.ketso.com/
Framework of Workshop Sessions
The attendees were divided into four groups, each with a main focus. These represented different perspectives and timescales to
delivering planning for sustainability within the study area.
The perspectives considered were:
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Improved Integration & Operation of Water Management
Characterising sustainable Land Use Exploitation via Ecosystem Services
Paving the Way for Catchment Care and Democratic Water Governance
Building a better EA ~ Farming relationship
In one session, the groups moved to review a different perspective to test appropriateness of issues/comments raised.
Methodology for Reviewing and Synthesis of Output
The key part of the basic output was the identification by participants of a) future possibilities (Opportunities) and, b) the challenges
(Constraints). Over 220 comments/issues were raised by participants. Within an excel spreadsheet, these were distilled, grouped and
collated. Seven themes emerged from analysis of these data:
Opportunities
Stakeholder communication, culture & networking
Incentivised water & land use governance by local stakeholders
Operating rivers & land use opportunities
Constraints
Lack of Stakeholder Information & Understanding
Need to deliver reasoned strategic planning & governance
Environmental management & planning
Lack of resources & funding for delivering change
A timescale of relevance for each summarised issue has been allocated.
A ‘Synthesis of Output’ xls file is available giving the output on one page.
Discussion
Overall, the relevant experience and knowledge of those participating amounts to several hundred years. Consequently, the workshop
output warrants some consideration.
The derivation of these seven themes seems an important output from the workshop. These may be critical areas to consider, not least in
future communications. Each theme suggests an important focus against which the sufficiency of the Strategic Report and future
communications should be weighed.
Groups reporting back within the workshop gave some recognition that a Catchment Care approach may be helpful. Accordingly,
Catchment Care has been marked up where this could be considered constructive to addressing an issue.
Crucial to bringing about climate change adaptation and moving towards sustainable land use is the understanding of climate change by
stakeholders and their appreciation of ‘sustainable land use’. This has been flagged up against an issue where it may be relevant.
Stakeholder understanding on these issues seems critical to progressing FCRM strategic planning that is relevant to sustainable
development of the Study area and the business risk to the Agency.
Conclusion
The workshop has enabled seven review themes to be identified relevant to testing the quality of the strategic planning.
A Catchment Care approach appears to be relevant to addressing the issues and comments raised by participants.
By examining the issues / comments raised by workshop participants against stakeholder understandings of climate change and
‘sustainable land use’, the importance of communication about these topics appears to be reinforced.