CHEW VALLEY FLOOD FORUM (CVFF)
Minutes of 7th Steering Committee Meeting Chew Magna 29 April 2014
Present:
Steering Committee - Rachel Wilson Co-Chair, John Wright acting Co-Chair, Roger Bowdler, John Gall, Iris Gall, Tony Hope, Phillip Hales
Mike Curtis Scott Parkman were not able to be present.
Rachel Wilson informed the Committee that unfortunately Mike Curtis had undergone a major operation and had stepped down temporarily as a Co-Chair whilst he recovers. John Wright had agreed to act as a Co-Chair in Mike’s absence.
Minutes of the 6thCVFF Steering Committee Meeting held 27 March 2014
The minutes were agreed by the Steering Committee.
Review of Outstanding CVFF Actions
Actions:
1) Heather Shepherd NFF will inform the CVFF when the latest JBA report on PLP schemes nationwide is available.
2) Rachel Wilson will contact Heather Shepherd to ask the latter to send a link to the North Allerton flood alleviation scheme. Heather has provided a link to the Belford scheme.
3) The Secretary will consolidate the flood mitigation options suggested by Committee members and distribute the list to the Committee.
4) The Co-Chairs will write to B&NES and Chew Magna and Chew Stoke Parish Councils regarding post-flooding support.
5) The Secretary will draft a “useful contacts” list and seek Steering Committee members’ comments.
CVFF Steering Committee Meeting with B&NES on 8 May
The Steering Committee thought the CVFF’s objectives for the meeting should be to encourage establishment of the Strategic Partnership recommended in the JBA reports on the 2012 floods; try to ensure the shortcomings of the original PLP scheme are not repeated; and explore what more can be done to mitigate flooding in addition to PLP. The CVFF will wish to know whether all PLP needs will be met by the Enhancement scheme.
Action:
6) Rachel Wilson will e-mail to B&NES the following proposals for agenda items:
a) the investment appraisal that has been done for the proposed Enhanced PLP; what the decision process is; and how this fits in with ensuring the community’s views are part of this process
b) the lessons that have been learnt around quality and project management of the original PLP scheme and what will/has changed to ensure non-reoccurrence. Can a member of the CVFF Steering Committee sit on the Project Board?
c) UKFlood Barriers’s liabilities under the original PLP scheme and how to ensure that any rectification works under the new Enhanced PLP scheme does not exceed the cost of an annual maintenance contract per householder – given UKFB’s previous statements about defects
d) The JBA homeowner reports, especially consistency within the individual home-owner reports; investment in homes that did flood in 2012 versus homes with PLP that did not flood, apart from gardens/driveways; flood productse.g. pump performance – is what has been recommended “up to the job” or are the recommendations what is affordable within the budget?; what engagement has/is taking place with insurers to ensure that this Enhanced PLP package will be recognized by the insurers?
Advice to CVFF members on Enhanced PLP
Instead of holding a full CVFF meeting, the Committee decided to circulate to the existing PLP households a “newsletter” principally comprising questions householders should ask about the Enhanced PLP they are being offered in JBA’s survey reports.
Action:
7) The Secretary and Co-Chairs will draft a “flyer” for clearance by the Committee. Committee members will then distribute these to the houses believed to be covered by the Enhanced PLP scheme.
CVFF Steering Committee’s Response to the joint Environment Agency (EA)/B&NES Chew Magna April Update
The Committee was disappointed about the very short notice for comment and thought this did not accord with the partnership approach it believed had been developing with the EA and B&NES.
Action:
8) The Co-Chairs will write to the EA to try to obtain investment appraisal information regarding the full flood mitigation schemes previously considered by the EA; clarify why it appeared from the update that examination of other possible partial solutions now seemed to have been dropped from the modelling; and gain an explanation of how decisions regarding these partial mitigations could be made without examining them in the modelling.
Handling of short notice responses to developments/correspondence
The Committee agreed that proposed responses from the CVFF should be sent to all Steering Committee Members for comment, with a deadline of 24hrs, after which Committee members’ agreement would be assumed.
AOB
Environment Agency Flood Alerts/Warnings
John Gall volunteered to progress improvements in the Flood Alerts/Warnings received by Chew Magna and Chew Stoke villagers, that had been promised at the meeting held between representatives of the CVFF, Chew Magna Parish Council and the EA on 28 March 2014.
Environment Agency/B&NES Drop-In Surgery 13 May
Action:
John Wright will ask Committee members to volunteer to man a CVFF table at this meeting.
Fund Raising
Action:
9) Rachel Wilson will ask Chew Stoke Parish Council for a donation.
It was agreed that no other fund raising actionshould be taken at present.
Chew Magna Reservoir
10) Rachel Wilson will write to Bristol Water to gain information on a potential modification of Chew Magna Reservoir to slow down water flow, mooted in the late70s/early 80s.
Next Meeting
No date was set, but it was agreed to hold a meeting soon after the Environment Agency/B&NES Enhanced PLP Drop-in surgery on 13 May.
15May 2014Phillip Hales Secretary CVFF