A MEETING OF THE BROADS (2006) INTERNAL DRAINAGE BOARD WAS HELD AT THE SUTTON STAITHE HOTEL, SUTTON, STALHAM, NORFOLK
Monday 26th January 2015
| Elected Members | Appointed Members | ||
| * | H J Alston | Broadland D C | |
| * | L E Baugh | Ms A Cassam | |
| * | J Burton | * | A Mallett |
| R Buxton | * | J Pettman | |
| * | H G Cator OBE | * | Mrs B Rix |
| J W Chapman | * | N Shaw | |
| * | S G Daniels | D Ward | |
| J Deane | |||
| * | G D Gay | North Norfolk D C | |
| * | M Harris | Mrs A M Fitch-Tillett | |
| K Hart | * | Mrs P Grove-Jones | |
| I Robinson | * | W Northam | |
| * | F Sharman | R C Price | |
| M Smart | R Shepherd | ||
| T P Strudwick | * | N Smith | |
| * | J G Tallowin | * | R Stevens |
| * | E Wharton | * | P Williams |
| * | J W K Withers | ||
| * | S D Wright | Great Yarmouth B C | |
| Mrs M Coleman | |||
| B Cunniffe | |||
| * | J Shrimplin | ||
| D Thompson MBE | |||
| T Wainwright | |||
| * | Mrs S Weymouth | ||
| * | Present (59%) |
Mr H G Cator in the Chair
In attendance:
Mr P J Camamile (Chief Executive),
Mr A Goodwin (District Engineer/Health & Safety Officer),
Mr A Goose (Operations Manager), Mr G Bloomfield (Catchment Officer),
Ms C Laburn (Technical & Environmental Officer), Mrs K Thomas (Project Manager)
and Mrs M Creasy (minutes)
Minutes from this meeting:
8
| APOLOGIES
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| Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Messrs R Buxton, J W Chapman, B Cunniffe, J Deane, K Hart, R Price, I Robinson, R Shepherd, M Smart, T Strudwick, D Thompson, T Wainwright, D Ward, Ms A Cassam, Mrs M Coleman and Mrs A Fitch-Tillett.
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9
| CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
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| The Chairman informed members that this was the last Board meeting with the present District Engineer, Tony Goodwin in attendance. Tony would be on gardening leave from 1 April 2015 and continuing to support the new management team until his retirement in July 2015. On behalf of the Board the Chairman recorded thanks to Tony for his work for the Broads (2006) IDB and its predecessor Boards over the last ten years and wished him all the very best in his retirement.
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| The Chairman welcomed Karen Thomas to her first Board meeting in her new role of Project Manager for the WMA Eastern Boards. Karen had taken up her post on 19 January 2015 having previously worked in Flood and Coastal Risk Management with the Environment Agency in Ipswich.
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10
| DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
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| Mr S Wright declared an interest in respect of the payment reported in the Broads (2006) IDB Schedule of Paid Accounts and paid to him for pump attendant duties. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Mr E Wharton declared an interest in respect of the payment to Charles Wharton & Partners reported in the Broads (2006) IDB Schedule of Paid Accounts for pump attendant duties undertaken by Mr E Wharton. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Mr A Goose, Operations Manager declared an interest in respect of the payments to B Goose and B Goose & Partners reported in the Broads (2006) IDB Schedule of Paid Accounts, due to the family relationship between himself and Mr B Goose. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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11
| MINUTES OF THE LAST BOARD MEETING
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| The minutes of the last Board meeting held on 20 October 2014 were approved and signed as a true record.
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12
| MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
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| Breydon Pump Weedscreen Repair (67/14/01)
The District Engineer reported that the weedscreen issue at Breydon pump had now been resolved.
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| Land Registry (67/14/04)
Irstead pumping station had been successfully registered on 25 November 2014. Responses from landowners to the District Engineer’s correspondence asking for support to the proposed remaining registrations were continuing to be received and logged. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Potter Heigham Middle Wall
It was agreed that the District Engineer and Catchment Officer would arrange to meet on site with local landowners, Potter Heigham Parish Council Clerk and NCC representatives, all of whom have some liability for the use of the track, to discuss joint funding for the repair of this access track along Potter Heigham Middle Wall. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Precept Charges (73/14/03)
The Chief Executive reported that he had, as agreed at the last Board meeting, written to the Chairman of the Anglian Eastern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee asking for information about how and where the IDB precept charges would be spent but would follow this up again as he had not yet received any response. RESOLVED that this be noted.
|
| OPERATIONS REPORT
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| The Operations Report was considered in detail and approved (a copy of which is filed in the Report Book). Arising therefrom:
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| Muckfleet and Trinity Broads (A5/6)
The District Engineer reported that 100% capital grant funded surveys of the Muckfleet Main Drain were ongoing with results expected to be available by the end of March 2015 that would inform engineering options for the repair of the damaged bank sections. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Officers and relevant Board Members had attended a meeting on 9 December 2014 hosted by Essex and Suffolk Water (E&SW), where E&SW had confirmed a discrepancy with the water level readings going back to 2008. E&SW had subsequently lowered the levels and planned to undertake accurate levels in GPS before setting fixed level gauge boards under a new agreement with the EA, hopefully by end February 2015. Mr J Burton, E&SW emphasised the importance of getting the correct water levels set before deciding engineering options for the Muckfleet. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Mr J Burton reported that E&SW would be using a mud pump to remove circa 112,0003 cubic metres of solid material from the Trinity Broads, some of which could possibly be used in future repair of the Muckfleet banks. Following negotiations with relevant landowners, this project using the mud pump was expected to start 1 April 2015. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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| Broadland Flood Alleviation (A6)
Members considered the District Engineer’s report on the approximate 5% of bank strengthening works, (notably the River Ant upstream of Barton, including the North Walsham Canal), that fell outside the main remit of BESL’s completed Broadland Flood Alleviation Contract and as such could only be completed by applying for EA funding via the routine EA maintenance budgets appraisal.
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| It was agreed that the District Engineer should provide detailed costs for the outstanding bank strengthening works to support a letter from the Board to the Secretary of State for the Environment / the EA Chief Executive stating the need for funding for the works and the possibility of the IDB undertaking said works under a Public Sector Cooperation Agreement providing funding was in place. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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13
| PLANNING REPORT
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| The Planning Report was considered in detail and approved, (a copy of which is filed in the Report Book). Arising therefrom:
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| Mr S G Daniels requested that Officers monitor an upcoming planning application for a development site in Hemsby to ascertain whether or not a surface water development contribution may be payable by the developer to the Board. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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14
| HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT
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| The Health and Safety Report was considered in detail and approved, (a copy of which is filed in the Report Book). There were no matters arising.
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15
| CATCHMENT OFFICER’S REPORT
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| The Catchment Officer’s Report detailing the status of the Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs) was considered in detail and approved, (a copy of which is filed in the Report Book). There were no matters arising.
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16
| ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
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| The Environmental Report was considered in detail and approved, (a copy of which is filed in the Report Book). Arising therefrom:
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17
New Water Vole Class Licence System – Update (2.1)
The Technical and Environmental Officer reported that the legal opinion provided by the well-regarded environmental lawyer, Penny Simpson, had found that the activities set out in the proposed draft licence were not actually considered to be unlawful and as such would not therefore require a licence. Legal opinion also considered that the time of year for undertaking displacement of water voles was not a relevant consideration and that a water vole’s place of shelter and protection protected in law, crucially did not extend to the burrow’s surrounding vegetation.
18
| Eel Exemption Notices (2.2)
The Technical and Environmental Officer reported that the EA had provided formal Eel Regulations (2009) Exemption Notices covering the period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020 for the Board’s 18 EA designated high priority pumping station and abstraction sites. RESOLVED that this be noted.
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19
Eel Netting Survey (2.3)
The summarised report of the silver eel survey undertaken over a one-week period in December 2014 at five Halvergate pumps and two Somerton pumps was noted. The Technical and Environmental Officer reported that these results would be combined with a summer eel survey, with results hopefully supporting the prioritisation for pumping station capital schemes in due course. RESOLVED that this be noted.