[T]he first of a series of community drop in events looking at options for future flood risk management begin this month.
Residents will be able to see the initial, long list of options identified by the Environment Agency to reduce flood risk. This is an update on the ‘appraisal work’ which the government provide £3 million of funding to complete. From this appraisal work, the Environment Agency will identify a shortlist of preferred options, which will be presented to communities later this year.
The appraisal work is being carried out by multi-disciplinary teams of engineers, economists and environmental professions using the Flood Investigation Reports, local and historic flood information to evaluate the options to reduce flood risk. These project options are organise by community, however consider how flood risk can be reduce along the whole of a river catchment – from fell to coast.
A community drop-in session has been organised for each catchment, bringing together residents affected by flooding to view the options from the river source-to-sea.
Communities along the Upper Eden are invited to attend the drop-in session in Appleby, Lower Eden in Carlisle, Upper Derwent and West Cumbria in Keswick, Lower Derwent in Cockermouth and Kent/Leven in Kendal.
For those unable to attend, the information will also be available online in the form of a Google map. Anyone without access to a computer or smartphone at home can get online via computers at their local library.
Environment Agency Flood Risk Manager, Andy Brown said: “We have made a commitment to local residents and the organisations we work in partnership with, to ensure they are included in the decision making process. This series of drop-in sessions we are hosting provide people with an opportunity to view the options to reduce flood risk.
“These are options – nothing is set in stone.
“These drop in sessions are a key part of the appraisal work to gain insight into the best way forward to reduce flood risk in Cumbria.
“Together we have to ensure we find the best ways of investing the money allocated by the government to reduce flood risk which is also: acceptable to local people, technically feasible, economically viable and environmentally sustainable.
“We aim to present the shortlist to communities in the autumn for consideration and feedback from communities before the final decisions are made on which options to take forward and deliver.”
Drop-in sessions will be held at:
- Appleby (Upper Eden) at the Tufton Arms Hotel, June 27, 3-7pm
- Keswick (Upper Derwent and West) at Skiddaw Hotel, June 28, 3-8pm
- Cockermouth (Lower Derwent and West) at Christ Church, June 30, 3-8pm
- Carlisle (Lower Eden) At Greystone Community Centre on July 4 and The Sands Centre on 6, both 3-8pm
- Kendal (Kent and Leven) at the Assembly Room, Kendal Town Hall July 7, 3-8pm.
The google map of options is available via this link: http://bit.ly/2fPLG9x.
