Sunday 27 March 2016

Letter to Rory Stewart and Neil Parish


Dear Rory and Neil,

The Carlisle and district communities will be meeting on the 4th April to review the findings of the Carlisle Flood Action Group, and the journey towards prevention of future flood events.

It is important a full global tender process is put in play for new defence works and flood management schemes for the city. I understand from Cumbria County Council yesterday that the EA and United Utilities are de facto invited to lead the delivery of any new works. We should be grateful if any appointments, real or tacit, are paused and we examine the Ends we are working towards, and the Ways and Means of delivery. The danger is we sleepwalk into, as Professor Dieter Helm puts it, a sticking plaster solution. The people of Carlisle deserve better than the same team being invited back to fix 'the building that fell over last time due to ineffective design and works'.

There is little confidence, as Helm outlines, in the capability of the EA. They are an institution that has been pulled in under direct government direction, losing their first agent status. By Helm's estimate, and on this evidence a global tender process is essential. With the very real prospect that the EA might need to step aside, or undertake a purely facilitatory role. It appears that the success of the Dutch programme is the senior politicians' willingness to collaborate towards the goal of full protection.

We also have limited confidence in local authorities to examine and question proposed pathways and we should, as a Group, be grateful for full involvement so the appropriate local agenda is brought to the fore. Diane Wood, the CEO of Cumbria County Council is notable by her silence and unwillingness to meet. It is unconscionable that a repeat of flooding could fall down to weakness of local leadership and due diligence at this early critical stage of planning. It is our view the local leadership here are without the skill sets to provide a full and fair assessment of the city's needs. I understand the flood recovery programme is not formalised into any working document by the lead authority, and managers express they are burdened by the additional management load of the flood event. Research suggests local managers are keen after disasters to return to normal working patterns, and their capacity to entertain the creative and innovative falls away quickly. There is also real confusion about who leads now and in the future.

The government has awarded itself £700m from the general insurance industry. Again, this money must be bid for and awarded to the best management scheme. Rather than automatically find itself re-charged back through DEFRA's books, with the potential top-slicing of internal management fees eroding on the ground spend. This would lead to more than dismay amongst the community. If the EA are given the lead they will lean to their preferred methodology of capital spending on physical barriers, not the widest possible remit of viewing the whole catchments' long-term management. The Director of Catchment appointments are seen here for what they are, nominal, and undermine confidence in the EA to work with full grasp of reality. The EA's volume of messaging about its activities only goes to further highlight their own anxieties at this stage.

On behalf of the thousands of victims here, we should be grateful for your earliest attention and full engagement with the Group. We are cognisant of the need to keep options open but should also appeal for meaningful on the ground contact with senior officers, not the well-meaning but operationally focused team who are currently offered as liaison. We will continue to support your existing programmes fully in good faith, but local attention, and "special status" is needed for Carlisle, given the scale of the catastrophe. Many homes are still not dry and the real heroes of this event are the people battling to restore their properties and lives. This is a noble city, with enormous potential. But real leadership is lacking.

Sincerely,

Dr Stephen Gibbs

cc John Kelsall, Vice-Chair

Diane Bryant, Group Secretary


Dr Stephen Gibbs MBA (Lancs) PhD (Lancs) PGCert(Mgt) PCPD MCMI FHEA

Chair

m. 07544 581601

e. carlislefloodsaction@gmail.com

Thursday 17 March 2016

Response To Budget Announcement On Flood Spending


Carlisle Flood Action Group has welcomed the Chancellor’s commitment to make funds available for further flood defence projects across Cumbria but says more responsibility needs to be taken to prevent a repeat of previous failures.

In his budget statement this week, the Chancellor announced additional monies for flood defence and resilience. He's billed the general insurance industry for this and decided to announce the support now rather than immediately after the floods last December.

Carlisle, however, is interested in specifics not generalised statements. One hundred days on from the flooding caused by Storm Desmond, the city is waiting for any specific announcement from officials relating to the second catastrophic flood event in the last 10 years.

No agency has yet admitted responsibility for the failure of the expensive £38 million joint Environment Agency, Cumbria County Council, Carlisle City Council and United Utilities project.

The questions will continue, and get louder as people express fears that no assessment has been formed and thereby no urgent immediate actions have been taken, which may continue to leave the city unnecessarily exposed to further threats of increased rainfall.

The latest defence system was based on a 1% threat of serious flooding, but the threat now appears closer to 20%. Carlisle Flood Action Group understands no initial assessment has been agreed despite Environment Agency officials being regularly in the city.

Dr Stephen Gibbs, chairman of the group says residents and businesses are anxious for answers.

“The EA appears, as do the Councils, unable to answer who has executive authority for the recovery of the city. On top of the absence of initial reporting, there is the absence of clear and open communication by agencies to residents and businesses.

“The catastrophe and its aftermath is falling between agencies as each appears confused about who does what. The lack of leadership in the county and city is a concern, not just for flood recovery, but for its ability to compete in the global economy.

“Funding and defending Carlisle and Cumbria is at the mercy of new businesses being attracted at a sufficient rate. Governments are flashing huge sums of money around but these are not pegged to any hard analysis. When the hard analysis is revealed can we trust our currently low-key officials to ask searching questions, or will they wave it through as last time?

“On top of this we think the EA is probably a broken organisation, affected by internal organisational issues.”

Carlisle Flood Action Group is holding its next public meeting on Monday 4 April 2016 at 7.30pm at the Crown & Mitre Hotel in Carlisle. The new Executive Committee will be producing hard-hitting assessments on performance of agencies, as well as revealing its own findings on which future protection systems might need public attention.