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Government blueprint to deliver better protection for people on the Coast

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (464/07) issued by The Government News Network on 13 December 2007

A blueprint to help to deliver improved protection for people and property nationally, from coastal flooding and erosion has today been set out by Phil Woolas, Minister for Climate Change and Flooding.

The Environment Agency's Strategic Overview Implementation Plan outlines how Government will work with the EA, local authorities and coastal flooding groups to improve the prioritisation and management of all work on the coast.

Minster for Climate Change and Flooding Phil Woolas said:

"Recent events have reinforced just how devastating and lasting the effects of flooding can be to people and property. If we are to protect ourselves from the impacts of our changing climate we have to take a strategic approach that ensures flood defences and coastal protection are cost effective and sustainable for the long term. This plan will help to deliver that.

"We announced in June that the Environment Agency would oversee the management of all flood and erosion risk on the English coast from 1st April 2008, following widespread consultation. Since then we have been working in partnership with local authorities and coastal groups to map out exactly how we could all best achieve this. Work to deliver this process has already begun.

"As part of our ongoing commitment we have announced record levels of investment in flood risk management and coastal erosion work, but we also have a responsibility to taxpayers who need to know that this funding is being used to best effect. By having a single body responsible for the strategic overview of the coast, we will be better placed to achieve this."

Currently there are 92 coastal local authorities responsible for coastal erosion works, some of which also carry out sea flooding work. Currently the Environment Agency oversees the majority of sea flooding works, but doesn't have a role in coastal erosion. At present both local authorities and the EA put forward local projects, which if successful are funded directly by Government.

Once this important blueprint has been fully implemented, the Environment Agency's strategic overview role means that they will be responsible for the funding of all coastal work as well as overseeing its delivery. Government will still set the criteria that projects will need to meet in order to receive funding.

Actions within the plan include:

* Closer working with Regional Flood Defence Committees and Coastal Groups in order to better plan for flood and coastal erosion risk management, locally.

* Giving the Environment Agency responsibility for ensuring consistent production of quality shoreline management plans.

* Ensuring the Environment Agency produces coastal maps that will clarify the current complex responsibilities for the coastline

* Providing the Environment Agency with powers that will enable them to assume this new role through minor amendments to primary legislation where necessary.

Phil Woolas continued:

"This challenging new role for the Environment Agency means that decisions on coastal work will be based on what is most needed in order to protect people and properties not only locally, but also nationally.

"Crucially Government will still play a key role in this process, as we will set the targets for the overall programme of work to be delivered, as well as providing the funding."

Whilst the Environment Agency will have the overview and responsibility for the delivery of all works, it will continue to work closely with local authorities on the coast to achieve this. It will also ensure local authorities share their vital skills and expertise where necessary with other communities in need.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency said:

"The coast is what defines us as an island nation; it is the focus of much of our economic, social and environmental heritage and it is the area most at risk from climate change. It is the place where many of us choose to live, work and play and it is vital for the economic, social, health and wellbeing of our nation. It is one of our most distinctive environmental features.

"We are looking forward to this new strategic overview role on the coast and the opportunity it gives us to work with Local Authorities for the future."

Notes for editors:

1. The Environment Agency Strategic Overview Plan can be accessed at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategy/ha1a.htm

2. The intention to create a strategic overview role for the Environment Agency was announced in the Government's First Response to the consultation on its long term strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management Making space for water (Defra news release of 24 March 2005). The implementation of the Coastal Strategic Overview will be overseen by an Implementation Board that is made up of representatives from Defra, Environment Agency and local government officials.

3. The aim of giving the Environment Agency a Strategic Overview over all flood and coastal erosion risk management in England was to improve governance, funding and delivery arrangements so that:
* We take a holistic and sustainable approach to risk which allows for robust and evidence based long term decision making.
* Our approach is truly risk driven.
* There are clear roles and accountabilities.
* We ensure that there is effective stakeholder engagement including an appropriate level of local, regional and national input to the decision making process.
* Financial planning and management arrangements provide the best value for money from the investment programme, including reducing the risk of project cost overruns.
* We make best use of technical expertise and engineering resource.
* We support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) objectives

4. Defra is currently consulting with the Environment Agency and other key stakeholders on the development of the Agency's role in relation to inland flooding.

5. Sea flooding roles on the coast are currently mixed between the Environment Agency and 92 coastal local authorities. The Environment Agency leads in most areas but local authorities take the lead in other places such as North West England. In future the Environment Agency will manage all sea flooding risk but it will, where appropriate, continue to work with local authorities in delivering works on the ground. Local authorities will continue to promote coastal erosion works projects but these will be under the Agency's strategic overview. This approach will ensure much clearer accountabilities for sea flooding and coastal erosion and the Environment Agency will produce new coastal maps which show which organisation is responsible for delivering the service on each stretch of coast.

6. The Environment Agency will manage and fund the programme for producing long term (up to 100 year) Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) for the whole English coastline. While the plans will be undertaken by the organisation (Environment Agency or local authority) best placed to do so, the Environment Agency will ensure that they are produced to a consistently high standard and are truly sustainable.

7. Flood and coastal erosion works will be identified from the SMPs and feed into a national assessment of flood and erosion risk and a resulting prioritised multi-year works programme. New outcome measures have been developed by Defra to help assess relative priorities within the works programme.

8. Defra will allocate funding to the Environment Agency to manage the flood and coastal erosion works programme. In doing so, the Agency will ensure that all work, whether undertaken by themselves or local authorities, is properly and efficiently procured and delivered. The Agency will also ensure that robust arrangements are in place for the long term management and maintenance of the asset that is created, so that its lifetime benefits are fully realised and premature capital replacement is not necessary.

9. The Environment Agency will take on Defra's role in approving all new coastal erosion works planned by local authorities, whether or not grant is sought. We intend that the Agency will ensure that defences and works operated by others are consistent with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.10. The role and membership of Regional Flood Defence Committees will be widened to include coastal erosion. This will ensure that the Environment Agency's decisions and activity in relation to coastal erosion are brought within the same governance framework as applies to flood risk management.

11. The present coastal groups of local authorities would continue under these arrangements though Defra wants to work with them in producing fewer, bigger and more strategic organisations with consistently strong Environment Agency membership as well as representation from other key stakeholders. Such a development of the coastal groups was suggested by the chairs of these groups in an earlier stage of development of the Environment Agency strategic overview role.

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