2. ENVIRONMENT
AGENCY
2.1 Overview
2.1.1 The Environment Agency took up its statutory duties
at vesting day on 1 April 1996. Its vision is a better environment
in England and Wales for present and future generations. It has
a wide range of duties relating to different aspects of environmental
management notably:
Water Management
Environmental Strategy
— monitoring the environment
— research and development
Environmental Protection
— advising Government on national air strategy
2.1.2 The aim of flood defence in this is to provide
effective defence and warning systems to protect people and property
against flooding from rivers and the sea. In this context the
role of flood defence means carrying out works ourselves such
as maintaining and improving rivers, sea defences and associated
structures together with providing advice to prevent the creation
or extension of flooding risk and delivering a national flood
warning service.
2.1.3 Flooding is a natural process which is beneficial
to the natural environment. Flood Defence is about intervention
in natural processes because of human activity and development
in the flood plain. Flood Defence seeks to reduce the risk of
flooding and to safeguard life, protect property, sustain economic
activity and protect and enhance the environment.
2.1.4 To do this we maintain the flow carrying capacity
of river channels, the foreshore in front of coastal defences
and construct flood defence structures. These may involve:—
— earth embankments covered in vegetation
— concrete or steel embankments
— pumping stations to transfer water from low lying
areas
— barriers such as the Thames and the Foss (in York)
2.1.5 The Thames Barrier is the single largest flood
defence structure and is designed to allow the passage of shipping,
whilst providing protection from tidal flooding in London. The
level of protection is for a storm expected on average once in
each thousand years. However, as with all such structures it does
not stand in isolation. It is dependant upon the maintenance of
flood defence embankments on the tideway throughout London. Seaward
of the barrier linked tidal defences extend as far as Southend
on Sea on both banks of the estuary. Integral to the system is
the smaller barrier on the Barking Creek.
2.2 Statutory Role
2.2.1 The majority of the flood defence and land drainage
legislation the Agency operates under dates from 1930. This has
a number of elements:
— a duty to exercise general supervision over flood
defence
— a permissive power to undertake flood defence
work
— a power to make byelaws in support of these
— a duty to consent works affecting flood drainage
systems
— a power to raise drainage charges
The Environment Act 1995 added a number of overriding duties
the most relevant of which are:
— a principle aim of assisting in the achievement
of sustainable development
— the promotion of conservation through the Agency's
operations
— the promotion of water related recreation through
the Agency's operations
2.2.2 Statutory guidance under the 1995 Act also requires
the Agency to operate on the basis of sound science, value for
money and to manage the environment in a holistic way. It also
encourages the Agency to achieve national consistency in its operations.
2.2.3 Since 1930 the permissive powers have been used
by the Agency's predecessor bodies with Government support to
construct and operate flood defences on a considerable scale.
This is exercised through Regional and Local Flood Defence Committees
which are organised on natural river catchments.
2.3 Structure
2.3.1 The Agency has Head Offices in Bristol and London
and operates through 8 regions and 26 operating Areas (3 or 4
Areas to each Region)
The Agency has a Chairman who is appointed by the Secretary
of State for the Environment and a Board of 15 members who are
accountable to Ministers for formulating and delivering the Agency's
policies. One Board Member is appointed by the Minister of Agriculture,
specifically for flood defence purposes.
2.3.2 The Chief Executive, who is a member of the Board,
chairs the Directors team. This comprises eight Directors who
oversee and co-ordinate the development of strategy and formulation
of national policies for the Agency's Environmental Strategy,
Water Management, Environmental Protection, Operations, Finance,
Personnel, Legal Services and Corporate Affairs activities. Each
Region has a Regional General Manager but there are functional
links between specialists at regional or area level and head office.
Responsibility is delegated as far down the organisation and as
near the customers as possible using clear policies and standards
set at head office while allowing operational flexibility at the
local level.
2.3.3. Three statutory Committees were established to
provide a more direct link with the public and customers. These
committees are required by the Environment Act for consultation
and for providing regular feedback. The committees are: the Regional
Flood Defence Committee (RFDC); the Regional Fisheries Ecology
and Recreation Advisory Committee (RFERAC); and the Regional Environment
Protection Advisory Committee (REPAC). There is also a fourth
in Wales; the Advisory Committee for Wales.
2.4 Flood Defence Committees
2.4.1 There are 10 Regional Flood Defence Committees
in England and Wales together with 20 Local Flood Defence Committees.
Flood Defence Committees have executive powers to deliver the
necessary work programmes and to raise the matching funding. The
committee structure in each Region is as follows (See map and
comments at Annex A):-
