“Can the Cabinet Member update members on the flood schemes and whether the Council is content that the Environment Agency are progressing schemes fast enough and will the Council changes its stance to remove the pedestrian bridges from Spital towards town. Too often due to flooding Spital has been cut off from Chesterfield Town creating serious issues for accessing residents, for those seeking to get home from the rail and coach stations and indeed to access the hospital atop Hady Hill. Is it not the case that the Council should be pushing for greater urgency on flooding measures, on improving all road and pedestrian bridges over the rivers and waterways and that the Council should not be going along with the proposal to remove pedestrian bridges, thereby risking residents being isolated and trapped in the inevitable situation of a flood in the near future?”
Response:
“Thank you to Cllr Fordham for his questions. To start with the specific point around Spital and the footbridges, as you note, it is proposed to remove these as it is considered that both bridges can trap debris from the river during high flow conditions, which can cause a backing up effect upstream and so increase the flood risk. Given the benefit removing these is therefore professionally assessed to have to reducing upstream flood risk, and as during high flows and storm conditions both footbridges become overwhelmed by floodwater (and the bridges can be around 0.5m under water), it is therefore also of concern about these rights of way being impassable, unsafe and isolated in themselves during flooding too – not just the bridges, but the footpath up to them.
In terms of the wider point around flood schemes and progressing these, to focus on the Chesterfield area, I understand there is an EA scheme bring progressed in relation to the River Hipper and Holymoorside. Whilst I of course share what I think would be all members’ views around progressing flood mitigation schemes as quickly as possible, this is likely to be a major scheme, and so takes time to both develop and confirm the significant funding in turn needed. But,we will continue to work with the EA, as well as pushing government, to provide support for this and other schemes (and other challenging areas such as Hornsbridge) both at an officer and political level.”
“As I’m sure many councillors are aware, there is a parliamentary inquiry underway into flood resilience led by the Environment Audit Committee. What submission has been made by Derbyshire County Council by the deadline of 13th January?”
Response:
“Having discussed this with officers, I understand we weren’t aware of a formal request or invite to respond to this inquiry, so it isn’t one that has been focused on – officers prioritise replying to requests where we’ve been invited to reply or have a duty to. We have also been in direct discussions with Government, as part of the DEFRA flood resilience grant scheme administration and analysis but also as part of various other official visits and conversations, around flood resilience and mitigation in the county, which we will continue to do. If we are asked to feed into the select committee inquiry though, we would of course be happy to do so.”