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Talbot Terrace Environment Agency reply

On 21 Mar 2013 at 8:47pm jennyb wrote:

From the lovely helpful man in the Environment Agency:
Our Sussex Ouse 12th October 2000 Flood Report, details the flooding which occurred in Talbot Terrace in 2000. This flood event has been estimated to equate to a 1 in 180 year flood, which is a very extreme event and the largest experienced within Lewes since our records began. The previous largest flood event was that which occurred in 1960, when the flood water reached the northern limit of Talbot Terrace but did not cause any flooding within it.
You are correct in stating that some works have been undertaken within Lewes following these floods. However, these works have been on the opposite, eastern, bank to Talbot Terrace and therefore do not provide the Talbot Terrace area any increased level of flood protection. In addition we have not been able to source any funding for flood defences within this area due to how our flood defence schemes were financed by the Government.
We are aware that a previous development proposal is coming forward again for a significant area of land adjacent to Talbot Terrace in the North Street area. During our discussions with the previous developer we negotiated a significant flood alleviation scheme (FAS) for the development area and for the Talbot Terrace area, which consisted of a permanent defence up to a 1 in 75 year standard with temporary defences set on top of the permanent one, giving a 1 in 200 year standard. Unfortunately the previous development was never taken forward and the defences were not constructed, however we will be pursuing a similar level of protection from the new developer and initial discussions have taken place between the developer, Lewes DC and ourselves.
Recent flood modelling undertaken by ourselves has indicated that the Talbot Terrace area is at risk to flooding from the River Ouse for flood events greater than a 1 in 75 year flood at today�??s date. Obviously when considering the effects of climate change this flood risk will increase with time, although the completion of the FAS detailed above would remove the risk of flooding up to an event greater to that which occurred in October 2000.
I would also point out that we are going to be working in conjunction with East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council to see if any alternative sources of funding and/or contributions can be gained to help us secure Government funding for a FAS for this area should the proposed development and associated FAS not go ahead.

On 21 Mar 2013 at 9:23pm Ben wrote:

Yes, i had something similar from them when i nearly bought a house in Dorset Rd. I greedily read it through hoping to see the words 'problem fixed and will never flood again' but alas no. At the end of the day i just couldn't cope with the agro of having to keep an eye on the weather forecast every time i went abroad. Loved the house though, and it was very painful to not buy it. However, having pondered over that decision some 8 months ago, i reckon that if i could have got a discount off the asking price of say 30k for the hassle of being in a flood zone, then that could well be worth a flooding which should be just once in a lifetime or not at all.

On 22 Mar 2013 at 1:15am lost wrote:

I note some inappropriate bias here from the environment agency. This should not say 'unfortunately the previous development was never taken forward' it should say, "the development was not taken forward, so these plans did not materialise". The difference is rather significant if you understand the need for impartiality. There were plenty of people who did not want the planned flood defences, and plenty more, who may have wanted the defences , but not the development that would have paid for them.

On 22 Mar 2013 at 4:36pm I dont live in lewes... wrote:

After the flooding of 2000 the figure for risk of flooding was given as 1 in 40 years. I'm glad that guestimate has increased. If I lived in Talbot Terrace I think I would now ask the nice man from the EA if Talbot Terrace is at greater risk since the completion of flood defences for other parts of the town.
Agreeing that the implemented defences are no benefit to that area, when the river floods the surplus water has to go somewhere and if I lived in Talbot Terrace I'd be more than interested to know where that would be.
PhilX

On 22 Mar 2013 at 6:12pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:

Just the question I was going to ask, IDLIL. Will the water that can no longer flood the Brooks Road area just make the flooding worse for the area on the other side of the river? After all, it's got to go somewhere if the river breaches.