The open day will be held on Wednesday 25 October between 2pm and 6pm at:

It will give visitors the opportunity to see the construction works in action and the progress made so far. Members of the Environment Agency project team will also be available to provide information and answer questions people may have.

Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot were severely flooded in 2007 following record-breaking rainfall across the area. The £4 million flood storage area in Broadway will be able to hold up to 135,000 cubic metres of water during times of flood and will only allow a set amount of water to flow downstream at times of intense and high rainfall. This will reduce flood risk along the Badsey Brook downstream of Broadway.

The scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding to around 290 homes and businesses, is due to be completed in spring 2018.

Dan Wilkinson from the Environment Agency said:

This is a significant scheme for residents living in Broadway, Childswickham and Murcot who know only too well the devastating impact flooding can have. The open day will give them an opportunity to see the work in action and see for themselves how, once completed, the scheme will help reduce the risk of flooding.

Councillor Barrie Parmenter, Chairman for Broadway Parish Council, said:

Broadway Parish Council are delighted that the project is progressing well and which when completed, will improve the lives and alleviate the worries of many residents of Broadway and the surrounding area.

A project designed to give local organisations and communities more say over the management of local watercourses has entered a new phase with the launch of public drop-ins in four pilot areas throughout October 2017.

The project is exploring the potential to re-designate several sections of selected ‘Main Rivers’ as ‘Ordinary Watercourses,’ (a process known as ‘de-maining’) where – in agreement with the Environment Agency – partners such as Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) or Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are keen to take on the lead role of local watercourses.

The project is piloting these changes in 5 locations. 4 of these locations are now approaching the consultation stage of the process and drop-in events will be held in:

• areas of Norfolk and Suffolk
• Stour Marshes in Kent,
• The Isle of Axholme in the East Midlands
• South Forty Foot Catchment in Lincolnshire

The final pilot at Wormbrook and Allensmore Brook in the West Midlands will be running to a different timeline.

The project aims to bring significant benefits to local communities, allowing those who know the layout of their land to take control of their local watercourses, and could help pave the way for further de-maining opportunities throughout England.

For the Environment Agency, the project will also ensure resources are prioritised where the greatest impact on reducing flood risk can be achieved.

Rachael Hill, Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

We are working with local organisations to strengthen local decision-making. Internal Drainage Boards and Lead Local Flood Authorities are very much on the ground in communities so giving them responsibility over their own watercourses is a win-win situation that will ensure that the right people are managing the right watercourses in the right places.

We welcome the launch of the community drop-in sessions and we look forward to working together on this project to benefit people and the environment.

Innes Thomson, Chief Executive of the Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA), added:

This is an unmissable opportunity for local communities to have their say on how they would like to see their local watercourses managed in the best way to make use of the funds available, whilst improving the quality of those watercourses, the environment and community wellbeing associated with healthy, maintained rivers and streams.

The drop-in sessions are an ideal way to find out more about the plans, help allay possible concerns and, very importantly, to provide support for these trials so please do try and find time to come to one of them.

Gaining local support for the transfer of watercourses through engagement and consultation is essential for the success of the project. The public drop-ins will be an opportunity for local communities and interested parties to ask questions and influence the proposals.

This will be followed by a formal consultation on GOV.UK currently scheduled for December 2017 which will seek further views on the proposals. If there are no objections, changes to the watercourse will take place in July 2018.

Drop-in sessions:

East Midlands:

Lincolnshire:

Norfolk and Suffolk:

Stour Marshes:

The Environment Agency has approved (Tuesday 10 October) Third Energy’s hydraulic fracture plan (frack plan) for its well site at Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire.

An approved frack plan is required before the company starts fracking under the conditions of the operator’s environmental permit, which was issued by the Environment Agency in April 2016 after extensive public consultation.

The Environment Agency is confident, following a thorough assessment of the frack plan, that Third Energy has demonstrated it has the right procedures in place to control and monitor the fracturing process. The plan will be available to view on the Environment Agency’s Citizen Space website.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

We are satisfied with Third Energy’s arrangements for monitoring during and after hydraulic fracturing. The Environment Agency is committed to ensuring that shale gas operations meet the highest environmental standards and can only go ahead if they are safe for people and the environment.

Our environmental permits set out the legal conditions needed to protect groundwater, surface water and air quality and to ensure the safe storage, management and disposal of waste. Our staff will continue to carry out regular on-site checks and audits to ensure that the company is meeting the high standards we require.

The fracture plan and other operational documents relating to Third Energy’s operation can be found on the Environment Agency’s Citizen Space website.

The Environment Agency has extended the deadline for its public consultation on the draft environmental permit for the proposed energy from waste facility at Rookery Pit, Stewartby, Bedfordshire, which would be operated by Covanta Energy Limited.

The public consultation period has been extended by 2 weeks and will now run from 11 September to 7 November 2017 to allow people more time to read all the available information.

A permit will only be issued by the Environment Agency if it is satisfied that the facility will be designed, built, operated and maintained in such a way that the requirements of the relevant EU Directives are met and that human health and the environment are protected.

This will be decided following consultation with the relevant local councils and their health departments, the Food Standards Agency, Public Health England, the Health and Safety Executive and other identified statutory consultees.

People wanting to provide comments to be considered during the determination by the Environment Agency should send them to: psc@environment-agency.gov.uk or write to: Environment Agency, Permitting Support Centre, Land Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield, S9 4WF.

Please quote permit application number EPR/WP3234DY/A001.

To provide comments online and to view the documents that form part of this consultation, please follow this link

Interested parties can also make an appointment to view a copy of the draft permit and draft decision document at the local Environment Agency office, located at: Bromholme Lane, Brampton, Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire, PE28 4NE.

The sea wall at Walton on the Naze helps to protect a wetland site of designated international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The repair work will ensure the wall remains an effective flood defence for years to come and prevent any further deterioration.

Starting later this month, a section of the tidal defence embankment will be refurbished over a 3 month period.
The project will see the renovation of a 1.7 kilometre stretch of the embankment, running north up the coast from Foundry Lane.

The work is being carried out by civil engineering contractors Breheny and will take place on the crest and seaward sides of the embankment.

Work is due to begin in the week commencing 9 October 2017 and normal working hours will be from 7:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Kerry Bentley, Asset Performance Officer for the Environment Agency, said:

This is very important work and will ensure the sea wall can continue to provide an effective level of protection in the area for years to come.

The damaged sections of existing sea wall will be removed and new sections will be added.

The old blocks will be placed at the toe of the sea wall as habitat and to help reduce wave impact.

In order to ensure the safe delivery of these works we will need to redirect short sections of the footpath to the rear of the wall.