Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS Environmental Statement APPENDIX E – CONSULTATION OCTOBER 2008 Reference number IMMI000642 Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation NOTTINGHAM TRENT LEFT BANK FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT APPENDIX E CONSULTATION CONTENTS E1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1 E2. INTERNAL CONSULTATION.............................................................................3 E3. EXTERNAL CONSULTATION............................................................................5 E3.1 External Consultees...........................................................................................5 E3.2 Stages of Consultation.......................................................................................5 E4. ATTENBOROUGH VILLAGE CONSULTATION..........................................11 E4.1 Attenborough Residents Consultation.............................................................11 E4.2 Stakeholder Consultation.................................................................................17 E4.3 Summary of Consultation Exercise.................................................................20 E5. ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CONSULTATION..................................21 E5.1 Environmental Statement Submission.............................................................21 E5.2 Nottingham Flood Alleviation Scheme Website.............................................21 ANNEXES ANNEX E1 – TABLE OF CONSULTEES ANNEX E2 – FLUVIAL TRENT STRATEGY – SUMMARY OF CONSULTATION PROCESS ANNEX E3 – SUMMARY OF MASTERPLAN AND CONSTRAINT PLANS RESPONSES ANNEX E4 – SCOPING REPORT RESPONSES ANNEX E5 – LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY SCREENING OPINIONS ANNEX E6 – SCHEME ALIGNMENT LEAFLET RESPONSES ANNEX E7 – ATTENBOROUGH VILLAGE FAQ’s – SEPTEMBER 2006 ANNEX E8 – ATTENBOROUGH VILLAGE - FACT SHEET ANNEX E9 – ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT RESPONSES ANNEX E10 – ATTENBOROUGH VILLAGE NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2008 ANNEX E11 – ATTENBOROUGH FAQ’s – OCTOBER 2008 ANNEX E12 – NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK – OCOTBER 2008 A list of abbreviations, a glossary and a list of references are included in Sections 14 to 16, Volume 1. All the maps provided within this document having Ordnance Survey material are with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Environment Agency, 100026380, 2008 October 2008 Ei Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation LIST OF TABLES IN MAIN TEXT Table E1.1 Scheme Areas and Local Planning Authorities.............................................2 Table E2.1 Internal Environment Agency Consultees....................................................3 LIST OF TABLES IN ANNEX Table EE1.1 Table of Consultees Engaged......................................................................25 Table EE3.1 Consultee Responses on Masterplan and Constraints Plans.......................39 Table EE4.1 Consultee Responses on Scoping Report....................................................43 Table EE6.1 Consultee Responses on Scheme Alignment Leaflet..................................85 Table EE9.1 Consultee Responses on April 2007 Environmental Statement................101 LIST OF FIGURES Figure E4.1 Alternative Alignment Considered for Attenborough Village....................12 Figure E4.2 Timeline of Consultation with Attenborough Residents.............................15 October 2008 Eii Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation E1. INTRODUCTION Nottingham is located on the banks of the River Trent and currently some 16,000 properties are at risk of flooding. The city has a long history of flooding with notable events occurring in 1795, 1875 and 1947. The latter prompted construction of the current defences during the 1950s. The most recent flood event was in November 2000, which was classified as an event with a 3%1 (1 in 33) annual probability of occurrence. An appraisal of the flood risk in Nottingham was published by the Environment Agency in 2005. The study, known as the Fluvial River Trent Flood Risk Management Strategy (“Fluvial Trent Startegy” or FTS), included inspections of the existing defences, topographic surveys, ground investigations, computer modelling of the river, economic analyses and a review of options. The work confirmed that the standard of protection of the existing defences is low in places and that some of the defences are approaching the end of their useful life. A business case has been approved by the Environment Agency’s Board to undertake works to improve the defences and increase the standard of protection to protect against a flood event with a 1% annual probability of occurrence. Works to improve the defences on the left bank of the River Trent through Nottingham are being proposed as part of the Nottingham Trent Left Bank Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS). The whole of the left bank of the River Trent through Nottingham is a single ‘flood cell’. By this term we mean that a breach at the defences at any location could, in theory, flood the whole cell. The cell extends a distance of 27km from the M1 at Sawley to the Radcliffe on Trent Railway Viaduct; refer to Figure 1.1, Volume 1. Only upon completion of the entire works will all of the flood cell be protected against a flood event with a 1% annual probability of occurrence. The works span the boundaries of four local planning authorities. As a result, Volume 1 of the Environmental Statement (ES) is a ‘front end’ overarching summary document. It outlines the approach and scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and presents the overall results. It contains all background legislation and policy, survey methodology and any generic mitigation. It also summarises the consultation undertaken, the proposed environmental enhancements and the Health Impact Assessment (HIA). There are four separate technical appendices, each of which relates to the specific works within each planning authority. This is illustrated in Table E1.1. 1 Floods are characterised by their size and the frequency with which they are likely to occur. A 1% annual probability of flooding may also be expressed as a flood that has a 1 in 100 chance of occurring in any given year. If a flood occurs in one year the chance of it occurring the following year is still the same, 1 in 100. October 2008 E1 Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation Table E1.1 Scheme Areas and Local Planning Authorities Appendix Scheme Area Local Planning Authority A Sawley and Trent Meadows Erewash Borough Council B Attenborough, Erewash and Broxtowe Borough Council Rylands C Meadows and Colwick Country Nottingham City Council Park D Colwick Gedling Borough Council This is Appendix E and it describes the consultation undertaken. It should be read in conjunction with Volume 1. A communications plan has been prepared and is being appropriately updated as the scheme progresses. Its aim is to: • identify key stakeholders with a likely interest in the scheme; • clarify the roles and responsibilities of the project team for specific aspects of external communication; • establish a programme for future consultation. Consultation is a key element of EIA. The communication plan identified early in the process those who needed to be consulted and when. October 2008 E2 Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation E2. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - INTERNAL CONSULTATION A number of key internal stakeholders were identified as having interest in and requiring input to the Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS. These stakeholders represent internal functions of the Environment Agency at a Regional and Area level. For each functional group a key contact was identified and acted as a conduit for information flow to and from their functional group. The role of these stakeholders within the Environment Agency is provided in Table E2.1. Table E2.1 Internal Environment Agency Consultees Function/Role Project Manager EIA Officer Lower Trent Area Flood Risk Manager Lower Trent Area Client Sponsor Regional Estates Manager Senior Legal Officer Team Leader, Regional Asset and Investment Management Principal Communications Officer, Corporate Affairs Biodiversity Technical Specialist Team Leader, Biodiversity, Fisheries and Recreation External Relations Officer Team Leader, Planning Liaison Team Leader, Operations Delivery Technical Team Team Leader, Development Control Team Leader, Environmental Management October 2008 E3 Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation This page is intentionally blank October 2008 E4 Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation E3. EXTERNAL CONSULTATION E3.1 External Consultees Through the scheme development, a large number of consultees have been identified. The communications plan has divided these consultees into the following seven groups, for ease of reference: • statutory consultees; • public sector governance; • infrastructure; • recreation; • private sector; • community sector; and • landowners. The full list of consultees within each of the above groups is provided in Table EE1.1 in Annex E1. E3.2 Stages of Consultation Consultation on flood risk management for Nottingham comprised the following stages: • Fluvial Trent Strategy – March 2005; • Masterplan and Constraints Plan – August 2005; • Scoping Report – November 2005; • Screening Opinion – November 2005 to November 2006; • Scheme Alignment Leaflet – August 2006; • Environmental Statement – April 2007; and • Environmental Statement Addendum – October 2007. A review of these different stages of consultation is provided below, outlining who was consulted and the responses provided. E3.2.1 Fluvial Trent Strategy External consultation on flood risk management options for Nottingham began during the preparation of the FTS. A draft copy of the Report was launched in April 2004, with public meetings held at Nottingham and Alrewas, Burton upon Trent to raise awareness. Three months of public consultation followed during which over 300 copies of the report were issued and 60 comments received. The majority of the comments received could be summarised into seven key themes: October 2008 E5 Environment Agency Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS ES Midlands Region Appendix E - Consultation 1. why is the 1% annual probability of occurrence (1 in 100 year) event used in the economic assessment of flood management options; 2. further clarification of how priority scores are calculated for the proposed flood management options; 3. the appraisal methods appear to be biased towards providing schemes for populated urban areas; 4. most recommended options are not sustainable; 5. gravel pits could provide valuable flood storage facilities, which is contrary to the strategy findings; 6. could partnerships or sources of additional funding influence the findings of the strategy; and 7. what is the programme for delivery of the River Trent Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP) and the Tidal Trent Strategy. Annex E2 provides responses to these common queries. A number of the issues relate to the methods currently used to appraise flood risk management schemes and, as such, were passed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for consideration in any future changes to their policy. The final version of the report was issued in March 2005. It appraised a range of flood risk management options and identified the most suitable throughout the 200km of the Trent, including Nottingham; refer to Section 2, Volume 1. E3.2.2 Masterplan and Constraints Plan The first stage of consultation for the Nottingham Trent Left Bank FAS was the distribution of Masterplan and Constraints Plans in August 2005. Separate drawings showing a potential outline design and associated existing environmental constraints were sent to key project stakeholders including Natural England (previously English Nature), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Wildlife Trusts, English Heritage, Network Rail, British Waterways and various departments of the Borough, City and County Councils. This was followed up by a series of joint meetings and site visits during September 2005. The purpose of the plans and meetings was to introduce the scheme and canvass early opinion on design constraints and opportunities to improve biodiversity, recreation and landscape. The majority of those consulted provided comments. The following is a summary of the main issues:- • concern of the potential impact to the Attenborough SSSI; • flood walls would generally be preferred as they minimise land take; • scheme provides opportunity to improve riverside access through extension of the Trent Valley Way; • a sensitive design along Victoria Embankment, Meadows, is required. October 2008 E6