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Farmers and landowners put flood concerns direct to Environment Agency policy makers at CLA event

Farmers and landowners likely to be affected by changes to the Environment Agency’s policy on water level management in the Lyth, Waver and Wampool areas have had the opportunity to discuss their concerns directly with senior staff from the Agency.

At a CLA meeting hosted by Hal Bagot at Levens Hall, National Head of Strategic Planning and Reporting Phil Rothwell, National Head of Asset Strategy and Data Management Jim Barlow and Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager (Cumbria and Lancashire) Glyn Vaughan answered questions posed by those whose lives and livelihoods will be affected by the switching off of the pumping stations in the Lyth, Waver and Wampool areas.

The Agency staff pointed out that they were no longer a drainage authority, and that riparian owners had responsibility for their own drainage and river management. The Environment Agency said that they had simplified the granting of consents for any works, and were able to give limited reassurances, including which pump would remain, what work would need to be completed before others would be switched off and on how much notice would be given. They also stressed that if the landowners formed an Internal Drainage Board, they would be granted certain powers which would help them to manage the drainage network.

The farmers present were keen to stress that Government should be very aware of food security issues, and that if the wrong decisions were taken now, the implications for the whole of society could be frightening. They urged that any decision should be postponed until further evidence could be gathered on both sides of the argument.

Carole Hodgson, Assistant Regional Director for the CLA in the North West, who also attended the meeting and who has been closely involved in these discussions said, "We were keen to bring senior policy makers up from London to meet those whose homes, farms and businesses are being put at risk by their decisions. They listened to our Members, and were also able to explain why their policy is as it is.

"That said, it is important that the Environment Agency and policy makers don’t walk away from water level management simply because it doesn’t fit their current flood risk policy, they have a responsibility to support and help local people to find local solutions. After all these farms and businesses had a reasonable expectation that the flood and water level management would continue and have invested accordingly"

"Our final call to the Environment Agency was to make sure that nothing is done without a full cost/benefit analysis which takes account of the true business values, and that their policy should be future-proofed. It is unthinkable that action taken now that causes untold stress, blight and economic hardship will only have to be reversed in a few years time, simply because all the relevant evidence was not considered."

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