The project is a partnership between the Council, the Environment Agency, Wessex Water and West Mendip Internal Drainage Board and will inform the local authority’s future planning and development decisions. It has been funded by the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). As well as identifying areas at risk of flooding due to surface water, the report and mapping will also analyse the risk of different sources of flooding occurring at the same time. For example, heavy rainfall combined with a hide tide, resulting in tide locking of the surface water outfalls.
Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, Deputy Leader of North Somerset Council, said: “We are very pleased to have begun this important project for Weston-super-Mare and to have appointed Royal Haskoning, who have carried out a number of studies within the area, including the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for the town. The company has built up an extensive knowledge of Weston-super-Mare’s environment during the last ten years through a wide-variety of projects, including the nearly completed sea defence wall, and we are confident its experience and expertise will greatly benefit this very complex project.”
In addition to using local knowledge, Royal Haskoning will use hydraulic and mathematical modelling to determine the areas at risk. Once the analysis is complete the Royal Haskoning team will identify some possible proactive solutions to reduce the risks of surface water flooding in the local area. The options will be investigated and developed with a view to submitting future funding applications to Defra.
Rachel Bird, Project Manager for Royal Haskoning, said: “This is an exciting project that will enable us to not only identify surface water risks and problems but also to create solutions. We are also approaching this study differently. Given the town’s proximity to the coast and the complex tidal water system rather than only looking at the effects of extreme environmental events that could lead to excessive levels of surface water, we are also looking at smaller scale events that, when happening at the same time, could have as big an impact as a major event. “Once the plan is completed it will provide a wider knowledge base for the local authority and its partners to draw on when making key strategic planning, development and investment decisions and will also help to provide a better and safer environment for the local community.”
Surface water management planning has only recently been in the remit of local authorities and is designed to bring together key partners with responsibility for surface water and drainage to help manage risk, plan for sustainable development, reduce risk, develop infrastructural resilience, improve emergency planning, educate the public and identify solutions to reduce surface water risk. The SWMP for Weston-super-Mare will be completed by January 2011.