3. KEY
ISSUES AND
OBJECTIVES
3.1 The Existing Flood Warning Service (Baseline)
In March 1996 a Direction from MAFF required
that, from 1 September 1996, the Agency would take the lead in
providing warning of the danger of flooding. For the first time
this gave a national perspective to flood warning.
While new arrangements have been introduced
in a nationally consistent way, there is otherwise a significant
inherited diversity of systems, methods and service coverage across
England and Wales. Therefore a baseline survey was undertaken
in February 1997 as a first step towards identifying these regional
differences.
The Agency will set nationally consistent and
achievable standards for flood warning.
3.2 Major Incidents
A major incident is a rare event (generally
with a probability of 2 per cent or less in any year) which is
severe enough to cause overtopping or failure of defences or to
afffect properties which have not flooded before.
Public safety is the main concern in a major
incident and the Agency liaises directly with Local Authority
Emergency Planning departments and the Emergency Services. Special
arrangements for flood warning may apply.
The Agency will advise Local Authorities about
significant urban flood risks and encourage the preparation of
Major Incident Plans.
3.3 Public Awareness
Research has shown how important it is that
people at risk are aware of what to do when a flood warning is
issued and are able to respond effectively. This means ensuring
that the public, particularly in flood risk areas, are kept informed
and are alert to the actions they can take to reduce the effects
of flooding on themselves and their property.
The methods used to communicate flood warnings
and ensure effective response will be reviewed in the light of
experience.
The Agency will undertake regular independent
surveys of public awareness to measure ability to respond effectively
to warnings.
3.4 Resources
Flood Warning is funded through executive regional
and local Flood Defence Committees and with MAFF/WO Grant Aid
for capital investment. All expenditure needs to be planned and
taken through the approval process as flood warning will be competing
with the other regional and national demands.
Since regions are at different levels of investment
in flood warning systems it must be recognised that some will
have to invest significantly more than others in order to achieve
the standards over the planned period. Where appropriate, alternative
or shared financing, eg Public Private Partnership, will be investigated.
The provision of a flood warning service for
England and Wales relies on a relatively small number of people
(about 80) undertaking core activities to maintain and improve
the service. To operate the 24 hour-a-day standby rotas with people
who are familiar with the systems requires significantly more
personnel (approximately 400), and to respond operationally requires
further people who are aware of how to deal with flood conditions.
The maintenance, operation and development of
the flood warning service depends upon people with expertise and
experience. The Agency must retain and develop sufficient staff
to provide viable units, with a clear management structure, funding
and remit to provide the service.
The Agency will identify, efficiently manage,
and seek to provide adequate financial and manpower resources.
3.5 Extension of the Service
Any extension to the flood warning service should
be subject to systematic appraisal. The Flood Warning Levels of
Service Studies (FWLOSS) have been researched and developed to
ensure that proposals are cost effective and meet required standards.
The methodology can be consistently applied across regions and
can help to priorities proposals for improvement.
The Agency will develop and adopt best national
practice to appraise need using the FWLOSS approach, and draw
up programmes of improvement in each region.
3.6 Telemetry and Instrumentation
The Agency has developed an Information System
(IS) Business strategy which takes account of telemetry systems.
This will ensure that all future systems meet harmonisation criteria,
and that existing systems gradually converge.
Telemetry issues are not only concerned with
the type, but also the optimum amount of telemetry to provide
the best overall performance. The equipment is required to be
particularly robust and reliable, and may be managed as part of
wider Agency systems.
The Agency's National Telemetry Group may advise
the need to plan significant infrastructure investment in coming
years. Telemetry investment decisions have significant capital
and revenue implications and must be justified with the benefit
of a robust methodology.
The Flood Warning Strategic Board will influence
and be advised by the Agency's National Telemetry Group.
3.7 Large Raised Reservoirs
All large raised reservoirs, greater than 25,000
cubic metres, must be registered under the Reservoirs Act 1975.
Best practice recommends that Reservoir Failure Inundation Plans
be drawn up, which include downstream inundation maps and emergency
measures.
The Agency will review its ability to issue
warnings for its own reservoirs (operated mainly for flood detention)
and other sites where Inundation Plans are in place.
3.8 Climate Change
Climate change may affect the risk of flooding,
through rising sea levels and more extreme weather.
The Agency will monitor the effects of climate
change and review flood warning needs.
3.9 Sustainable Development
Flood warning is not a substitute for an adequate
standard of flood defence. However new development should avoid
being at risk of flooding, or increasing the risk elsewhere, and
to this end the Agency is a statutory consultee of Planning Authorities
and issues Consents to work affecting watercourses.
The construction and maintenance of flood warning
installations is subject to the same environmental considerations
as other Agency activities.
The Agency will seek to guide new development
away from flood risk areas and to improve and sustain the environment
through its own activity.
3.10 Links to other Flood Defence Projects
Flood warning is related to other initiatives,
including:
— Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) + "Addresspoint" technology
— Identification of Flood Risk Areas,
Section 105 Surveys (re Circular 30/92 "Development and Flood
Risk")
— Flood Defence Management Manual and
System (FDMM/S) (including asset and level of service surveys)
The Flood Warning Strategic Board will maintain
links with other related projects.
3.11 Research & Development (R&D)
The Agency funds a separate programme of R&D
to support its flood warning activity. Proposals for research,
working where possible with others, should be planned to meet
identified targets.
The Agency will maintain the programme of proposals
for research and development to meet identified needs.
3.12 Performance
Since the timing and distribution of floods
is subject to nature it makes sense to aggregate performance over
England and Wales to provide an overall measurement which can
be compared year by year. Key measures include whether warnings
were received, and whether action to avoid damage was taken. Public
awareness, or preparedness to deal with a flood, should similarly
be assessed.
Performance by the Agency in these respects
is best assessed by independent survey of those flooded, and the
summary results made public. Operational Performance Measures
(OPMs) are being developed to present these findings in a meaningful
way for comparison and monitoring purposes.
The Agency will regularly seek the experience
of a sample of people who have been flooded within designated
warning areas, and will regularly publish our performance.
4. Priorities
4.1 The highest priority for the Agency
is to maintain and provide the existing flood warning service
as described in Flood Warning Dissemination Plans.
4.2 The priorities for improvement and extension
to the service are where the likelihood of flooding is high (a
two per cent chance or higher of flooding each year) in order
of risk to human life and land use, namely:
— High, then medium density urban;
— Low density urban or rural with limited
numbers of properties;
— Agricultural land with stock;
— Other property and assets including
transport and utilities;
where it is technically possible to provide a flood
warning which is far enough in advance of flooding to justify
the cost of the service. These priorities should be established
through the systematic Flood Warning Levels of Service method
of appraisal.
A flood warning service for the coast and defined
Main River will generally rank higher priority than for ordinary
watercourses.
4.3 The priority for Major Incident Plans
is where the likelihood is low (less thatn two per cent chance
of flooding each year) but concern for human safety is high. Areas
protected by flood defences which could fail or be overtopped
should receive higher attention than (otherwise similar) unprotected
areas. The Agency will encourage and work with Local Authorities,
according to this ranking.
4.4 All regions rely on weather services
from the Met. Office and elsewhere. A national project has been
started to review the range of services provided, identify best
practice and recommend options for improvement. Completion of
this project is a priority.
4.5 Weather radar has become a valuable
tool for flood warning (and other Agency) purposes but has not
yet been widesly used for quantitative forecasting. The network
of radar sites has evolved through partnership between regions
and the Met. Office. The network is in need of investment, which
will need to be justified, and this will have significant funding
implications.
Management of weather radar on a national basis
will provide the most efficient means of maintaining and improving
this service and the development of a business plan is a priority.
4.6 Tidal floods result from extreme combinations
of tide, weather induced surge and wave conditions. Effects are
generally widespread, although with local variation. The Agency
receives forceasts of wave and tide levels from the national Storm
Tide Warning Service.
Tidal flood forecasting developments are best
managed within a national forum and a review to identify improvements
has been started. Completion of this review is a priority.
5. FLOOD WARNING
BUSINESS PLAN
This Strategy provides the overall framework
for development of the flood warning service, for the five years
to March 2002, through:
— national standards, priorities and
a consistent approach
— regional delivery within a nationally
managed framework
— realistic targets which recognise
regional and area differences
— collective procurement and funding
of common services, where appropriate
— shared best practice and harmonisation
through convergence
— links to functional and corporate
planning processes
Strategic Board will ensure consultation with
internal and external interest groups and will seek wide consensus
for the Plan.
The Plan needs to recognise the ongoing upkeep
and operational activities, which are required to maintain the
core flood warning service. These activities are cyclical and
are generally revenue funded. In future some of the bought-in
services will be collectively managed and funding will need to
be separately identified.
Regions should develop and maintain their own
Flood Warning Programmes which complement the National Plan. Hence
regional programmes should ensure that nationally agreed targets
are met and will need to include collectively managed costs and
their own regional costs.
All funding is provided by regions and must
be planned and justified. This will have to compete with other
regional and national demands. The Corporate Plan process is of
particular importance since this provides confirmation of business
support and the mechanism to arrange funding. A year-on-year increase
in the proportion of properties receiving a prior warning of flooding
is one of the Agency's principal Ten Point Action Plan targets.
The Agency's Flood Warning Strategic Board will
review the Business Plan each year and revise its activity and
cost programmes as priorities require. The Plan will be recommended
to the Agency's Flood Defence Managers Group where it will be
considered alongside other Strategic Plans and national requirements.
22 April 1998
