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Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 January 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 January 2017. It was answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Conservative) on Monday, 23 January 2017 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Flood Control: Somerset

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness and sustainability of (1) current plans for the regular dredging of rivers on the Somerset levels to prevent flooding, and (2) channel widening of artificial rivers such as the Rover Sowy in order to move rainwater and floodwater more quickly to discharge into the sea.

Answer

Dredging is one of a range of options available to the Environment Agency and is used as part of a regular maintenance schedule to manage flood risk on the Somerset Levels and Moors. The Somerset Rivers Authority, a partnership of all bodies involved in flood risk management in Somerset, has commissioned a study to look at the effectiveness and sustainability of dredging at a number of locations across the Somerset Levels and Moors. The outcome of this will inform future maintenance work in the area.

The Environment Agency has a scheme in place to widen and improve the River Sowy and King Sedgemoor Drain which will increase the ability to remove flood water from the Parrett and Tone Moors. This scheme is considered a sustainable option for managing flood risk as this will require minimal maintenance in future years.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL4517
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Flood control Rivers Somerset Dredging
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk