Agenda item

(To receive a report by Morgan Wray, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager, which updates the Committee on Environment Agency activities in Lincolnshire including progress on key capital schemes)

Morgan Wray, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager, presented an update on Environment Agency activities in Lincolnshire. The following matters were reported:

·       The Witham extraction license strategy looked to protect the following

o   Meet river basin management plans

o   Protects the environment

o   Provide water extraction rights

·       Local approaches to sustainable management of water sources were outlined.

·       The priority water catchment areas were central and southern Lincolnshire, which were supplemented by various aquifers across the county.

·       The strategy included provision for surface water extraction – for residential supply and industrial and agricultural use.

·       It was projected that climate change would impact flow rates over the coming years.

During consideration of the report, the following comments were raised:

·       The Ancholme was fed from Torksey.

·       Applications for licences followed statutory deadlines and there were set timeframes for processing.

An update on the weed build up in Boston was presented by the Environment Agency. The following matters were reported:

·       Floating weed had been a presenting problem in Boston for the second year in a row and had resulted in damage to biodiversity and overall water health and contributed to foul smell.

·       Weed growth had been exacerbated by low flow rates due to droughts in the Summer.

·       The lead organisation regarding the issue was the Canals and Rivers Trust and held a statutory duty to maintain healthy rivers and water levels.

·       The Environment Agency maintained the river from a flood risk management perspective.

·       The weed presented no risk to flooding, as such there was no funding available to the Environment Agency to undertake removal works.

·       The Environment Agency had a statutory responsibility to investigate category 1 and 2 environmental incidents, such as a fish kill, although there was no funding to support necessary action.

·       The Environment Agency had been meeting to with relevant parties to manage the situation before the it worsened; however, it had no resourcing to attend category 3 incidents or investigate them to stop them worsening.

·       It was anticipated that similar situations would present in subsequent years.

The following comments were raised:

·       The reputation of Boston was at stake, as the foul smell damaged the attractiveness of the town.

·       Boston and the Witham needed to be recognised as significant a watercourse and burden of drainage costs needed to be better distributed across the county.

·       The watercourse was not navigable with the current levels of weed seen.

·       Serious environmental incidents (category 1 and 2) included the following:

o   over 100 fish killed

o   a single eel killed

·       Business located by the river and business dependant on the watercourse had been badly impacted by the damage.

·       River weed also presented an issue in Lincoln on the Bayford Pool.

RESOLVED:

1.That the updates and comments be noted.

2.That the briefing note on the river weed situation in Boston be circulated to Members.

3.That an update on the river weed situation in Boston be presented at a subsequent meeting of the Committee.

4.That the Committee write to the Secretary of State asking them to support the Environment Agency in their ability to respond to category 3 environmental incidents.