Memorandum submitted by Datchet Parish
Council (FL 115)
THE JUBILEE
RIVER AND
THE THAMES
DOWNSTREAM OF
WINDSOR.
Further to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Committee's announcement that it will hold an inquiry into flooding,
Datchet Parish Council makes the following submission for the
Council's attention and concerning the Jubilee River in Berkshire.
SUMMARY
1. The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible
for the design, construction and operation of the Jubilee River
(scheme). This scheme has been shown to be of substandard design
and/or construction, is still awaiting further repairs as at September
2007, and may never be able to meet its water flow design capacity.
2. First, it is our view that The EA should
not have the right to divert floodwater through the "press
of a button" (via the Jubilee River) onto undefended villages
downstream of Windsor, a situation which currently exists.
3. The EA is responsible for flood defence,
but has neglected dredging of the Thames (for flood defence purposes)
for over ten years. This neglect may result in an ever-worsening
situation, with the attendant increased risk of flooding in the
future.
4. Maintenance of local watercourses by
the EA is in our view inadequate eg failure to remove fallen trees
or other obstructions from local brooks and watercourses, a failure
which directly impacts the efficacy of flood drainage resources.
5. On behalf of the people of Datchet we
ask that Thames dredging is reassessed for flood defence purposes
and be re-introduced immediately, should the efficacy of such
practice be proven.
6. The EA's legal duties and responsibilities
for existing flood defences should be urgently clarified. Currently
concern exists as to the scope of the EA's duties and whether
such duty overrides the rights of all or just certain property
owners, businesses and agencies, in establishing and/or operation
of flood defences.
POINT-BASED
SUBMISSION
1. The Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood
Alleviation Scheme (MWEFAS) was conceived in the 1980's, considered
at a public Inquiry in 1992, construction commenced after Ministerial
approval in 1995 and was named Jubilee River (JR) in mid-1992.
The main construction consists of a 12 km man-made un-lined channel
that takes flood water out of the Thames at Maidenhead and returns
it into the Thames at Datchet.
2. The purpose of the MWEFAS was to reduce
the risk of flooding in the areas of Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead
where development had taken place on floodplain.
3. During the MWEFAS planning stage, Datchet
received assurances from the National Rivers Authority that the
MWEFAS would not be detrimental to the downstream villages (ie
use of MWEFAS would not exacerbate flooding downstream).
4. At £110 million, the Jubilee River
was (and remains) the most costly fluvial flood defence scheme
ever built in this country.
5. On first use in January 2003, when the
EA diverted water via the JR, many hundreds of households downstream
of Windsor suffered flooding for the first time since 1947. In
addition almost every structure along the JR was damaged.
7. Demands for a Public Inquiry into the
2003 flood event were rejected.
8. Since the January 2003 flood event, evidence
has emerged that confirms the JR was of sub-standard design and
construction, and was also incorrectly/negligently operated by
the EA during the flooding.
9. Taplow sluice design omitted a stilling
basin, Manor Farm weir was designed back-to-front, Slough Weir
protection was washed away and the Myrke embankment (which was
on the verge of collapse) had to be dismantled and rebuilt.
10. Repairs to date total about £4
million and are currently incomplete. The JR is unable (and may
never be able) to carry its design capacity.
11. The EA have reached a £2.75 million
out-of-court settlement with JR's designers (via their insurers).
12. Despite assurances from the National
Rivers Authority that the MWEFAS would not be detrimental to the
downstream villages, the EA now divert floodwater at the press
of a button (via the Jubilee River) onto undefended villages downstream
of Windsor. This is not just unfair but also of surely questionable
legality ie the arguably deliberate potential for knowingly putting
property and assets at risk of flooding.
14. Since construction of the MWEFAS commenced,
the EA has neglected dredging of the Thames for flood defence
purposes, a necessary though costly practice, in the eyes of many
environmental experts, for the alleviation of flood risk. The
EA has a duty to maintain the Thames for navigational purposes,
but only a "responsibility" to maintain the Thames for
flood defence purposes.
15. It is apparent locally that EA watercourse
maintenance (i.e. designated Main River) is inadequate.
Datchet Parish Council
September 2007
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