1.  ACTIONS IN EVENT OF DRAIN LEVEL APPROACHING CRITICAL LEVELS

Environment Agency Responsibility

  1a.  The Environment Agency do not appear to issue "alarms" for fluvial floods risks, this is clearly a dangerous situation and may cause loss of life.

  1b.  The Environment Agency have instrumentation that shows when a river or drain is close to over topping its banks. Burstwick drain began overtopping its bank at around 1430 on Monday 25th June 2007 no alarm was raised, it was at 0230 hours on the 26th June 2007 that residents of Burstwick first became aware that they were in danger of flooding and by 0300 hours people in Trinity Close Burstwick had to begin leaving their home. No alarms were ever issued by the Environment agency. The Environment Agency should have alarms for fluvial events set at preset water levels and / or Rate of Change of Level that should activate a emergency response procedure this should allow action to be taken to prevent the flooding occurring:

  1c.  When the alarms is activated warn residents of low lying areas that are in the "floodplain" and that water has high possibility of coming over the top of the River / Drain etc and that they are in serious danger of flooding

  1d.  Emergency response Team to mobilise pumps to the drain outlets so that when the outlets are tide locked that the drains can continue to be emptied.

2.  MAINTENANCE OF DRAINS AND DRAIN OUTFALLS (CLOUGHS)

Environment Agency Responsibility

Burstwick Drain, Keyingham Drain and Skeckling Drain

  2a.  Burstwick Drain effectiveness is dramatically decreased by lack of maintenance. The outfall at Hedon Haven is effectively operating at only half capacity due to 1.4 metres of silt that has built up over the years. This silt is effectively a wall that the flow has to get over as the outlet is only 2.6 metres high, a wall of silt 1.4 meters high restricting its flow would have a dramatic impact on the flow rate. Even at the date of this letter no work has even begun to dredge this silt. The Environment Agency should be asked to produce its maintenance plan that shows it annual programme and at what is the criteria for the maintenance to be brought forward should the silt level begin effecting the water flow.

  2b.  Burstwick Drain dredging has not been carried out effectively for many years, Surveys are costly and need to be done but actually doing the dredging is cheaper than a survey. A good operator can tell what needs to be brought out by the "feel" of the bucket and it best carried out when the level of the drain is low. To get the drain low the silt much first be removed from the outlet.

  2c.  Pumps have been proposed for the outfall of the Burstwick Drain for the last 15 years so that at high tide and heavy rain the drain can continue to function. The Environment Agency's budget should be increased to allow this long awaited event.

  2d.  Bridges that have been built over the drain that in some cases have a sill that restricts the flow of water. Why did the Environment Agency of other government dept allow this to happen?.

  2e.  There is an old assembly that used to hold the original set of clough doors due north of the new Hedon Haven clough doors, this assembly severely restricts the flow of water due to its narrow opening and its high sill level. This assembly should be removed urgently.

  2f.  Comments 2a) 2b) and 2c) 2d) can be equally applied to the Stoney Creek outlet that serves the Keyingham and Skeckling Drain.

3.  PLANNING PERMISSION: ERYC RESPONSIBILITY

Planning permission was given for the development of Elmtree Farm Estate with recommendations instead of conditions

  3a.  Planning permission at Churchill Rise, Trinity Close, Skeckling Close etc was granted with the recommendation that the land was built up 1.8 metres. Had this recommendation been accepted and carried out by the developer not one single house on this estate would have been flooded during the heavy rains in June 2007. Why was this a recommendation and not a condition?. Local drainage board recommended that planning permission was not granted. ERYC to investigate and put rules in place that ensures this cannot occur again.

  3b.  The housing estate Churchill Rise, Trinity Close, Skeckling Close etc was built on ditches and drains. These drains were culverted by the developer as he saw fit but were not part of the planning permission are not documented and no plans appear to be in existence. Several of these drains are now blocked but as there are no plans of where they run maintenance is difficult. It is suspected that they run under houses and private gardens. The owners of the land are not aware that these drains are on their property neither are they in the title deeds. The strange part is that the owners of the land are the riparian owners and have a duty to maintain these water courses. ERYC Planning Dept should investigate how they allowed this to happen and to produce a viable plan for future maintenance.

Ronald M Smith

August 2007