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Coastal flooding: The future |
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A new study of potential future coastal flooding could impact on housing development in Boston borough.
The council’s Cabinet considered the Lincolnshire Coastal Study and heard it may limit where new homes can be built.
The Lincolnshire coast is well protected but the risk of tidal flooding remains.
Local authorities, the Environment Agency and their partners are working together on planning for the future to ensure that coastal communities are safe, sustainable and prosperous.
The proposed Boston Barrier and associated Haven works will give the town one of the best standards of protection against tidal flooding in the country.
But the study has produced an alarming “hazard map” providing the best available information on the consequences only of coastal flooding (not risk of and not probability of).
It needs to be understood that the map presents a very “worst scenario” and is based on an assumption that given the occurrence of a 1 in 200-year storm/flood/surge event from the North Sea, the defences on the coast and within the town will not just overtop but will also breach. The assumption has also been taken that those breaches will not able to be closed for a period of 72 hours. Defences on the inland Haven have also been assumed to have a lesser breach than those on the coast.
The map models the impacts of a breach at a variety of defence locations these are all shown collectively on the one map. In reality these breaches would not all occur at once.
Once additional information becomes known about the condition and standard of the flood defences – some of them ancient - policies are likely to be reviewed.
The study has assisted in the development of policies submitted to the Secretary of State. These seek to ensure that development is allowed so that coastal communities remain viable, but without increasing the number of people at risk.
Despite major flooding occurring in other parts of the country and county in recent years Boston, because of its flood defences and location inland from the coast, has not suffered any major flooding for 200 years.
It is the intention that sea defences should be maintained to keep pace with sea level rises and that existing settlements will be protected and maintaining the area’s rich agricultural resources will be critically important.
Boston’s sustainable regeneration will be a priority and the town and port protected.
Employment or business development may be permitted in some hazard areas and new housing may be limited to meet local housing need only, providing it is provided in a flood-resilient way.
New housing development should be of a level and type designed to keep population levels in the hazard zones broadly stable.
Only areas such as Bicker, Swineshead, Holland Fen and some areas in the northern part of the town appear to be located in the lesser hazard zones.
The draft policies and text indicate that:
* Food processing and related activity are fully acknowledged as being major contributors to the local economy;
* Boston is highlighted by English Heritage as a regional priority;
* A very strong need to provide affordable housing is recognised;
* It is acknowledged as vital that Boston is able to function as a viable sustainable community and that regeneration issues must continue to be prioritised;
* That the rural economy must be supported;
* That our rich agricultural resources must be maintained and are seen as critically important;
* That the wider economic and service role of Boston and its Port must be protected;
* Major business and economic development and ongoing community infrastructure continues to be allowed.
The draft policies have been submitted to the Secretary of State and a decision is awaited as to how and when a formal consultation process on these policies will be carried forward.
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