Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from L Humphries (Yorkshire Water), A-L Orange (Ryevitalise) and Councillor Keal.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 October 2017 were agreed as a correct record.

Emily Mellalieu (NYCC) provided the following update:

Malton

·         The scheme is progressing with funders and developing a business cases for funding. A number of bids in place, if all are successful it would achieve full funding for the scheme

·         Currently refining the figures with the EA and working with the LEP for potential growth funding

·        NYCC has £450k potential underwritten funding. There is approval in principle from RDC

·         The team will be working out cost benefits, preparing detailed designs and delivery over next few months

·         More information will be available at the next meeting, including progress with apps

Wider catchments: Ryevitalise and Yorkshire Derwent Partnership Project

·         The EA have £50k for Natural Flood Management to cover Derwent Villages: Thornton le Dale, Hovingham, Gilling and other, which does not have to provide property resilience unlike other funding schemes

·        £75k has been committed for other schemes

Emily introduced Gareth Roberts, a new Project Engineer who will be covering Ryedale and Richmondshire.

NYCC has been selected by the Committee for Climate Change Adaptation as a study for part of research into the difficulties around rural authorities submitting successful funding bids.

It was asked whether the case study would lead to widespread solutions for surface water flooding. It was confirmed that of 20% impact surface water only 6% funding goes towards this. The Committee will make recommendations, however we are only at the start of the process, so difficult to comment at this stage.

In response to a question on the definition of surface flooding, it was confirmed that there are various definitions, however it can be from lack of maintenance or for other reasons.  NYCC looks at internal property flooding only, blockages on highways should be dealt with by highway maintenance. Every highway gets one treatment a year on a cycle for highway clearance. Any repeat problems should be investigated and responded to.

NYCC have spent £100k and will bridge any gaps up to £450k.

Yorkshire Water are currently doing an integrated drainage plan for Norton 

Plans for closer working with NYCC

It was stressed that it is important to report any issues via website as the case is then referred immediately to an inspector https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/road-drains-and-gully-cleaning

It was asked whether the design of gulley pots could be improved as they are unable to deal with extreme rainfall. In response, it was reported that they could but there are no plans to change them at present. NYCC is looking at more sustainable drainage methods.

Grants are available to farmers for funding to implement solutions to the problem of surface water running from private land onto public land. Treating the highway is preventing action being taken at sources, and NYCC is working with Natural England to stop this happening.

NYCC’s preference is for open ditches with the onus on farmers to take responsibility for ongoing repair and maintenance. Support is required to help farmers to improve the situation. The EA is currently working on this with partners.

Explanation of riparian ownership

Generally,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

Matt Cross, Catchment Officer based with Wildlife Trust is assessing the development of projects across the Derwent partnership area.

Ryevitalise project (part of YDP specific to Rye)

On 16 January there was a review of the 22 project elements against the themes of Water Quality and Environment, Water Level Management and Reconnecting People through a seminar with the HLF monitor, Mike Harding – still a significant amount of detail required between now and the submission at the end of the October.

Alex Cripps, Catchment Restoration Officer, is busy with undertaking farm visits to look at developing appropriate land management agreements to restore and enhance habitats along the riparian corridor to benefit wildlife, and improve water quality and reduce sediment and other diffuse pollution from agriculture. These measure will complement CSF activities and deliver against the WFD.

A number of studies have been commissioned as part of this development phase, including access improvements, riparian, white clawed crayfish, PAWS restoration, habitats, bats, fish passage and interpretation, which will be used to inform and provide evidence for the delivery programme.

We are continuing to work with partners to develop all the schemes, with a stakeholder event planned for later this month/early March led by our interpretation consultants, the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (Consultancy) Ltd.

Russell Smith provided the following update.

·         Hard and soft bed survey work to ascertain the state of the river has been undertaken in Malton. Silt and gravel are present but from a flood risk perspective are not enough to worry about. If it were removed it would return to maintain the equilibrium.

The IDB reminded Members that several years ago RDC, the IDB, Scarborough Borough Council and the EA funded a project to survey the Derwent and Hertford and compare with surveys undertaken in the in 1950s and other historical comparisons.  The surveys did not identify a lot of silt generally apart from at Rye Mouth, when there is a high flow, much more flow from Rye rather than Derwent, modelling does not show impact up stream but at low flows some areas are affected by the build-up of silt, however this is very localised. It was seen as critical to compare the recent EA surveys with these.

·         More survey work was possibly required down-stream however it was more difficult to get hold of older comparative material

·         It was requested that a check was made with the EA regarding a verbal assurance made several years ago that funding would be available to remove sediment.

·         EA survey work and data modelling in Thornton le Dale and lower lying parts of Vale of Pickering from Yedingham across to Hovingham is ongoing. WIP should identify crucial areas with a high flood risk to villages and if it shows benefits then it may attract funding

·         The development of whole catchment approach is seen as essential to the importance of changing the national picture in terms of future projects and funding

·         Assurance was given that the EA and IDB work together, however there are limitations with how they are structured and with funding issues.

Leah Humphries provided the following update:

Yorkshire Water are continuing to support North Yorkshire County Council and Ryedale District Council in their assessment of options for the Malton and Norton area and we have met to discuss these.

We are also putting the finishing touches to the Malton Undertrack Crossing, the safety fencing is due to be installed by Network Rail in the next couple of weeks, and at this time the piping will also be installed in the chambers under the railway which have already been constructed. Once this is in place, we are planning on carrying out a multi-agency exercise of the Malton and Norton Flood Plan with the assistance of Ryedale Council to practise the deployment of pumps.

Chris Bowles gave the following update.

·         With reference to the previous question on how the EA and the IDB work together, during the lifetime of the Liaison Group relationships in the past could have been better between the EA and IDB, however improvements have been made. There is an acceptance that as staff change, the relationship needs to be maintained.

·         Urban development becoming a big topic for IDB, a changing landscape is no longer just about maintenance.

·         Middle Deepdale – there is no evidence to justify allocating funding by NYCC so therefore no case for RDC to support. It has been through the planning process, therefore monitoring is unlikely to give a legal view that retrospective work is required.  There are difficulties scaling this across North Yorkshire in that there are no queries with the rationale but there need to be tangible benefits.  NYCC/IDB will continue to liaise to look for alternative funding sources.

·         It is a government priority that National guidance is applied to applications and growth.

RDC Head of Planning to be requested to provide advise on how the planning authority and the planning process, as part of local plan if necessary, can enforce monitoring by developers as a condition to be done before, during and after developing areas of land. 

·         A64 drainage – the CCTV study shows the source of water and A64 does contribute to issues in Old Malton. A funding application is a work in progress however the EA still has to decide their contribution.  Highways England has given NYCC all drainage plans.  WSP study has focussed on this.

Beckie Bennett gave the following update:

·         Progressing with two new agreements with YW

·         Pump for deployment at Tate Smiths Yard

·         Wayleave for Church St toilets to facilitate deployment of pumps in the event of flooding and pumping

·         Three RDC flood grants have been approved

·         Organised Working Near Water Training undertaken Friday 2 February – multi-agency approach

·         Planning pump deployment training (multi-agency approach)

·         Reviewing Malton Norton and OM Multi Agency Pump Plan and will ensure integration with M&N CRP

·         New officers involved in across all agencies and a multi-agency training flood event will be planned to test the updated plans

·         Supporting NYCC as Lead Flood Risk Authority in their bid developing a business case to the LEP growth fund for funding towards the M N and OM Project - will include an economic impact assessment, as well as bridging funding gap it is essential that the sustainable economic benefits of the project are understood

·         Planning a multi-agency stake holder event to raise awareness of how communities can assist with developing community resilience and the support available from various agencies

·         Increasing resilience through NYLRF and officers attending various strategic/tactical/operational training in the event of an emergency (flooding, terrorist attacks)

There was no other business.

Monday 2 July 2018 at 6.00 pm.