This is the latest edition of the excellent EA Flood Update Bulletins from Friend of Manor Farm Park
There has been a flurry of news to update you on, unfortunately none of it positive.
Outstanding queries to the EA
On 24th April, the Friends of Manor Farm Park emailed our EA contact, Delyth Evans, with a series of responses and further queries relating to her brief response to earlier questions which we had
received on 19th April. Sadly, more than three weeks later, we have only just received a response
stating that all our questions are being sent to experts and will be answered under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) which states that we should get a substantive reply within 20 working days. We have however been informed under FOI that the cost of the postage, printing and stationery for their recent postal mail out was a whopping £13,322.88.
Outstanding questions, the last two of which definitely don’t really seem to fall under FOI include:
- “How you are recording and considering other views raised in informal conversations, including those expressed at the original drop in meeting (28th January)?” (This because it transpired that they made no written record of the informal discussions with FoMFP representatives or
members of the public during their walk round the park on 27th February and our subsequent formal meeting.)
- “We would like a formal response to indicate how the many comments, views, questions and conclusions drawn [in our survey report] are being recorded and integrated into the overall consultation and how the views expressed by 425 local people will be addressed within updated proposals”.
- Given that Delyth indicated that the EA believed that ‘purdah’ prevented her meeting us pre- Mayoral election, we asked for dates later in May.
- Whether they can confirm that they will be attending our AGM on 10th July.
Ground investigations imminent
Starting at Valley Parkway this Thursday 23rd May
Despite saying that Manor Farm Park was going to be the first to be investigated, on 15th May the Environment Agency informed Bournville Village Trust that they will be using legal powers to enter and start ground investigations in Weoley Hill Park / Valley Parkway on or after Thursday 23rd May.
This has been met with a flurry of objections, including a statement by Bournville Village Trust that they do not give permission. BVT have released the following statement on their website:
“Bournville Village Trust has been notified by the Environment Agency that they’ll be using statutory powers to carry out ground investigation works as part of the Bourn Flood Risk Management Programme.
We have not approved these works and do not give permission for the Environment Agency to carry
these out.”
See the full response at https://www.bvt.org.uk/bournville-flood-risk-management/bournville-flood- risk-management/
A spokesperson for the Bournville Valley Parkway action group (Dambusters) says:
“We have been advised that the EA are starting ground investigation work in a week’s time [approx 23rd May] for 5-6 weeks and that their compound is on either side of our access way effectively blocking our access and that of the general public. That is not what was agreed with them when we met a few weeks ago. We have both telephoned and emailed our objections and so far no response.”
Richard Trengrouse, a member of the Weoley Hill Park action group ‘Save our Parks’ has written a scathing blog circulated in the Weoley Hill Village News, entitled “Environment Agency take Draconian Powers to Access Parks” in which he indicates that the powers used are designed for flooding emergencies and concludes “To date the “consultation” has been an exercise in patronising condescension on the lines “We are going to implement these plans come what may, oh and you locals can decide where a few trees and bulbs go”. You can read his full blog here.
Jack Hynds, Chair of the Bournville Freeholders and Leaseholders Association has written to all members along similar lines. He has already emailed the EA stating that by their actions they lack credibility. He asks what is the point of them suggesting that they take into consideration the
feelings of local residents if they then resort to enforcements? It does not bode well if they continue act this way. He urges people to write to the EA and local MP, as we do. See here.
Manor Farm Park – school summer holidays?
On hearing the news, the Friends of Manor Farm Park sent an urgent email to Sue Amey, BCC Parks Manager, to find out whether a similar communication has been issued in respect of works in Manor Farm Park.
Sue has confirmed that the EA have advised that the notice for Manor Farm Park is to follow any time soon but hasn’t yet been received. She believes that they will start at Valley Parkway from Thursday 23rd May for a period of approx. 6-8 weeks. They’ve intimated that Manor Farm will follow after that (just in time to hit the school summer holidays). Despite this Sue feels the EA seem keen to avoid too much disruption and she has advised dates for events so they can factor those in. She concludes
“I’m aware BVT are seeking legal advice but the EA have powers under the Environment Act and the Water Act so I don’t think anyone can stop them entering to carry out investigations and they need to do those investigations to formulate a viable plan.”
The Cadbury Barn Trust had already written to the Council’s Legal Department and to the Chair of the Trusts and Charities Committee which holds the park in trust as to their views on the scheme and whether they would need to approach the Charity Commission. They have yet to hear back from them.
We have written again to Delyth Evans at EA asking for an update on the start date in Manor Farm Park, which they first told us would be late March. It is of course conceivable that they have reversed the order of works out of consideration for our Lark in the Park event.
Lark in the Park – 8th June 12 – 3pm
The Environment Agency has asked us to say that their attendance at this event is:
“to talk about the work of the Environment Agency in general which would include our role in flood
risk management and signing people up to the Environment Agency’s free flood warning service. We could also talk to people about the potential flood risk management scheme along the Bourn catchment and bust any myths which people may have heard in relation to what the project is looking to achieve. Whilst we will be happy to provide information on the potential scheme, we do not currently have any new information.”
We encourage everyone to go and talk to them, but also to come along to the Friends of Manor Farm Park stand where we will have our own display on their plans and the local response to it. We will also be happy to ‘bust any myths’ based on information that we have collected (see below).
And of course, we hope you will come along and enjoy the rest of the event! (Poster at end).
Myth busting???
We suspect that one of the ‘myths’ the EA may wish to bust is our description of the construction of the 5.5m high, 350m long and 50m wide embankment, as a ‘dam’. The British Dam Society (who knew!) states, “A dam is defined as a barrier or structure across a stream, river or waterway to confine and then control the flow of water.” It appears irrefutable that this is what the embankment, with its fixed opening to limit the water flow from the brooks into the lake and then beyond, is proposed to do.
They may also challenge our referencing the dam being made of concrete, even though the initial concept plans shared in January showed that the spillway would be faced with ‘Grasscrete’.
Amalgamated references indicate that Grasscrete is ‘continually reinforced, ready mixed concrete that has a defined pattern of voids achieved through the use of a disposable [plastic] form that once removed and replaced with stone or grassed soil allows water to pass through the concrete’.
‘Grasscrete is commonly known as Void Structured Concrete’. ‘Recognised as a permeable surface, Grasscrete reduces total site coverage and can help with meeting planning regulations’. ‘The unique design of Grasscrete facilitates grass growth between cast in situ reinforced concrete, providing excellent structural support and protection against soil compaction’. ‘Grasscrete is capable of being installed at a slope of 1 in 2 i.e. 50%.’ ‘Grasscrete can be mown using traditional mowing equipment and it’s a sustainable material with an indefinite lifespan.’
The March plan removes the use of the contraversial word ‘Grasscrete’ from the length of the spillway (comprising 130m of the ‘open side’ of the embankment) calling it just ‘grass reinforced’ having deleted the phrase, ‘to be Grasscrete or similar’.
However, in response to a letter from Trevor Wilson, dated 24th March, the EA states very clearly that the spillway will be constructed from concrete:
“a spillway (slightly lower than crest level) to allow extreme flood events to pass over the top of the embankment in a controlled way. Usually made from grasscrete or similar to provide a strong firm concrete base for grass to establish within.”
So a considerable portion of the new dam would look like this, only, in our case, probably steeper:
Other than the use of the terms ‘concrete’ and ‘dam’ we are unclear what myths the EA may hope to bust, but please do go and talk to them, ask questions and tell them your views!
Birmingham City Council Flood Risk Management Annual Report
The Assistant Director Highways and Infrastructure submitted this 32 page report to the Council’s Scrutiny Committee on 16th May 2024. While highlighting the extent to flooding within the area over the past year, and identifying various preventative measures undertaken by the Council and
other agencies, the reference to the Bourn plan, on page 5 is extremely brief and refers to the plans only as “it is likely to involve a series of flood storage areas on the Bourn”. It then says “We [who is we?] started wider community engagement in January 2024, based on the concept designs, and
there are some concerns around the impact to the park areas given their heritage and that they are well used. We have explained that the project is at an early stage, the designs will change, and we will continue to engage with stakeholders and residents as the plans progress to incorporate the
needs of the community.” You can access the full report here.
Richard Trengrouse has written to local councillors to highlight the minimisation of both the impact of the Bourn plans and the extent of public concern. We encourage you to do the same.
Lower Rea Flood Management Scheme
The proposals the EA presented in January incorporated flood prevention measures in the Digbeth area which they said were needed to enable a large housing development to go ahead. They subsequently split the scheme into two separate proposals. Last week the Council’s Planning
Committee approved the development of 1,300 riverside homes which will “drive the ecological and environmental transformation of this part of the city by re-naturalising the River Rea and delivering significant net biodiversity gain.” See the article here.
Please contact the Environment Agency with your views
We again encourage you to send your views in to them, including a question, at TheBournFRMS@environment-agency.gov.uk
Their standard automated email response includes the statements:
“We really appreciate any feedback that we receive about the scheme and will take all comments on board while considering any ideas for the area. It is important to note that no decisions have been made yet and we are only at concept (idea) design stage. There are a lot more steps before any construction could start, and absolutely nothing is set in stone. We are very happy to receive
feedback and ideas and we really value the opinions of the communities who have an interest in, or who use the parks….. Hearing, discussing and including the views of the local community is a critical part of the development of a successful scheme…. Your input is invaluable as we strive to ensure that The Bourn project benefits the entire community.” We really need as many people as possible to submit that input directly and to copy any replies to us at fomfpmembership@gmail.com Thank you
Weoley Hill Village News 