|
Regional Flood Defence Committees members appointed |
|
Thursday, 02 July 2009 |
|
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced a number of new appointments to Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDC). These are:Amanda Nobbs as Chair of Thames Frank Major as Chair of Northumbria; and Alan Lovell as Chair of Wessex.
Defra has also appointed Brian O’Hare as Ordinary Member of North West RFDC, Hilary Bishop as Ordinary Member of North West RFDC and Gita Rae as Ordinary Member of South West RFDC. Regional Flood Defence Committees are responsible for decisions made on flood and coastal erosion defence works carried out in their regions by the Environment Agency. All five appointments will take effect from 1 July 2009 and will run until 30 June 2012.
Defra is responsible for appointing the Chair of the committee and a number of members. Two other members are nominated by the Environment Agency and the local authorities in the area appoint the remainder of the members.
The Environment Agency is required by the Environment Act 1995 to exercise its flood defence and land drainage functions through RFDCs (apart from certain financial duties). These functions include the construction and maintenance of river and sea defences against flooding and provision of flood warning systems and the regulation and improvement of watercourses to alleviate flooding of land and property.
RFDCs are required to take an interest in all flood matters in their area and in particular to take decisions about the annual programmes of improvement and maintenance work to be carried out by the Agency. They must also decide on such matters as the extension of main rivers, the making and operation of land drainage byelaws and various issues affecting any internal drainage boards in their area. They are required annually to approve estimates of expenditure and to determine the amounts to be levied by the Agency on constituent councils.
|
Recent improvements in pump technology prompted Severn Trent Water (STW) to initiate a de-sludging trial to reduce costs and energy consumption by producing thicker sludge in the Primary Settlement Tank (PST). 
Hydro International’s Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls have been installed into a new dam, near Devil’s Bridge, on the Blackburn Brook, just outside Sheffield. 
Lanes for Drains has opened its first depot in Wales, bringing the tally to 21 depots nationwide for the UK's largest independent drainage specialist. 
Eimco Water Technologies have been awarded a significant order by BP to supply and install a fresh water manufacturing plant on the FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel) Schiehallion.