Annex 1
Summary of impacts of Defra funding squeeze
2006-07
FLOOD RISK
MANAGEMENT
Reductions in rates of remediation
of flood defences which are at high risk of failure.
Reductions in channel clearing and
maintenance will increase flood risk.
In the medium term, reduction in
completion of asset management plans and structural asset surveys,
will reduce ability to target future maintenance.
Reduction in risk based asset inspections.
£1 million reduction in flood
warning impacts on flood forecasting, coverage of the flood warning
system, public awareness campaigns and exercises to test emergency
response and preparedness.
Large reductions in the flood mapping
programme knocks on to the flood warning service.
Revenue reductions in studies and
data collection will impact on future ability to warn and protect
the right properties.
Pre-feasibility studies will be slowed
or cut (up to 11 studies per region). These are a pre-requisite
for efficient future investment.
Catchment Flood Management Plans
will be delayed. A significant amount of flood mapping work has
been cancelled with service levels unlikely to be met in a number
of regions.
Action on water level management
plans affecting the conditions of SSSIs will be reduced and delayed.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Impact on our attendance at pollution incidentsThere
will be a presumption of non-attendance at category 3 incidents
with overall attendance dropping to approximately 30% of all category
3 incidents reported.
This is likely to lead to more incidents escalating
since they will not be dealt with promptly. This will result in
damage to the environment and a lowering of our reputation with
the public.
Reduced prosecution rateIt is likely
that we will have to reduce the number of large and complex investigations
that we undertake. There may not be a large reduction in the overall
number of prosecutions, but there will be some "big, bad
and nasty" cases that we would like to pursue but will not
be able to resource.
Transfrontier shipmentsreduced number
of port inspectionsWe had planned to visit a further seven
ports in the remainder of 2006-07 to detect illegal waste shipment
activity.
Some inspections will not take place. Failure
to detect illegal activity reduces the deterrent effect and may
result in additional costs (to the EA) of dealing with returned
materials detected overseas.
THE AMOUNT
THAT WE
EXPECT LARGE
SCALE FLY
TIPPING TO
GO UP
As a consequence of less investigation of "big,
bad and nasty" fly tipping incidents it is likely large-scale
fly tipping will show a relative increase.
NUMBER OF
WATER QUALITY
INVESTIGATIONS THAT
WILL NOT
BE CARRIED
OUT
The cuts amount to a reduction of funding of
approximately £500k in 2006-07. The impact of this reduction
will be a reduction in investigative monitoring of bathing water
failures and other EU Directives leading to less success in identifying
the causes of problems and therefore delays in seeking the required
improvements. Ultimately there is a risk that we may fail to meet
our targets for improving bathing water and river water quality.
FISHERIES
Salmon action plans will be impacted.
Half the funding for salmon action has been
cut, 37 projects have been reduced to 25 and the remaining projects
reduced by up to 50%.
The impact will be:
Habitat improvement works stopped
(R Tees, R Wyre, R Itchen, R Severn tributaries).
Fish passage improvements stopped
(R Ribble tributaries, R Severn tributaries).
All affected rivers support salmon stocks that
do not meet conservation limits so that opportunities to establish
sustainable fisheries have been lost in the medium term.
In many instances, local arrangements had been
put in place to work with partners or to contribute to work by
others. The loss of funds, as well as hindering efforts to conserve
and improve salmon, has also had an impact on relationships with
important partners. This will potentially affect their willingness
to work with us and contribute in future.
WORKING WITH
OTHERS
Working with Government offices and regions,
regional spatial strategies etcThe budget squeeze does
mean is a reduced quality in our input to the discussions/partnership
working. Less funding means we have less money to support strategic
research/assessment/planning/pilot work to bring high quality
information to the table to inform regional decision making. If
we provide less knowledge and funding we have a weaker negotiating
position.
Regions will maintain a high level of involvement
with Regional Spatial Strategies at critical stages, however it
is unlikely we will be able to support actions arising through
Local Strategic Partnerships.
We will similarly be unable to support all actions
from Regional Economic Strategies (RES).
Working with othersthere will be a reduction
in partnership working, projects, demonstration/pilot projects,
and strategic development including:
Developing a regional biodiversity
strategy.
Promotion of recreation.
Promotion of the health agenda.
Information to inform/green the growth
agenda.
Working with the SME sector.
We will be unable to commit to co-funding innovative
pump priming projects with partners.
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