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EA Flood Defence Team Plans for Substantial Dredging of River Loddon

The Loddon Lily for a start Mark.

It needs a high profile politician to pull together all the groups into one voice. Martin Salter might be the man?

Ray, The BSociety have Ian Watson on the Consultative Group so Pete Reading will be in the loop.

Graham
 
They should be looking further downstream to alleviate any possible flooding.
During the summer floods a couple of years ago they backed the water up into the Loddon and then further up into the Blackwater/Whitewater. Some of you may remember that the flow stopped and the rivers were virtually lakes.
This was because they shut all the sluices on the Thames, scared to flood further downstream.................even after they'd spent £90 million on the flagship Windsor and Eton flood relief scheme.......
Makes you wonder about their engineers.......
 
It is really good to see there is so much support here, however, as I said earlier, until we see in detail what the plans are, we cannot decide upon the best course of action. I was, as I said, giving an early heads up to those who may be interested, I was not wishing to raise a sheet storm so early on.

To answer a few questions:

The Loddon Conservation and Consultative Committee was the brainchild of the EA fisheries team to pull together all relevant stakeholders in the Loddon and Blackwater catchment area, it is not however run by them, it has an independant committee from various backgrounds, it's own membership scheme, it's own bank account, it's own Angling Trust and Fish Legal membership..............The EA fisheries team are, however still a very enthusiastic element and pretty much a driver for improvement.......
This includes RSPCA, RSPB, Natural England, English Nature, the councils, angling clubs, Barbel Society, etc.........
Ian Watson is part of the committee and will ensure Pete Reading is kept updated.
Dave, Dom is not at all happy, this flies in the face of what he is trying to do to improve, basically the damage done by EA flood defence over the past decades throughout the same area.

As I said, this will be handled properly and professionally and your support, together with that of Fish Legal, etc.. will be called upon as and when required.

Julian, I am not sure what information you have passed on as I have little to share at the moment and would ask that we are allowed, as an organised group to front this............the first step is to find out the facts, in detail, this will happen at our scheduled meeting in March.

Please don't misinterpret me, I am very grateful of th support this is creating and the emotion shown to the subject, I was going to wait until after the meeting in March to inform people but thought I would raise awareness earlier in case action is needed at short notice afterwards.
 
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Just to update you, I spoke again to my EA contact and have decided not to wait until March but to start pushing this forward myself with support of others, Angling Trust are already on the case too as a result of Julain's contact and I will be speaking to them also in the next day or so, I have a very, very strong feeling that the FDT are about to do something terrible to our river and are trying to keep it quiet until it is too late for them to be opposed. I am asking the EA directly for a copy of their Flood prevention plan including planned works and also the associated calculated benefit and risk studies. I will share what comes back.
 
Keep pushing and nip it in the bud.

:)Top Man..I was going to say push forward now and don't leave it resting. The EA flood defence team will probably spend another £100,000 in the meantime on drawing up more destructive plans and of course keep themselves in work etc, to where then there will be no turning back.
If the document is not forthcoming, then ask 'now' for it under the 'Freedom of Information Act', if you have not done this already. You should get it within 21 days this way otherwise it may/will be delayed by the EA if they don't want the information released. Fish Legal is the best way to go on this acting for a club! and you might get it quicker.
It is best to get in there quick to let the EA know you and others are on their case and which may disrupt and hinder their plans, 'before' they are finalised.
Keep the wildlife trusts and Natural England informed and ask them to become active quickly in this matter....
Ask the EA for the 'Impact Assessment' document to show what negative effects might occur. They probably have not carried this out as it needs the input and co-operation from the EA Fisheries department and Natural England..
Get on the the local papers quickly and report what is going down and what Environmental Destruction to wildlife etc is about to happen.
Best to keep it on the side that you are a avid wildlife and bird conservationist etc and not just the fishing side, as mentioned.
The RSPB is another who should be informed.
Finally, if no joy, get Graham down there and padlock him to one of the dredgers.:) The EA do not like being photographed or video filmed at doing damage to the Environment, so this needs to be done if they go ahead. Inform the EA that reporters and environmentalists will be filming them.
In this way, you will definately get major media and TV coverage and bring it out in the open.
Nice one Ian/julian/Graham etc...Keep going..Ray
 
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Hi Julian,

Thanks for your enthusiasm, Amanda Basset is part of the LCCC, she works for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and was at the last meeting when this was raised, the Bio Diversity lady she referred to will be Alex Hazel, she was also at the last meeting..........
Mick Borras is a member of the LCCC, he was however missing at the last meeting so thanks for letting him know.

I will rally all the Angling Clubs and other LCCC members, am just awaiting some info from a "friend" which will help me greatly to push my enquiry to the EA in the right direction.

Ray, by "Calculated Benefit and Risk Studies" I was including the Impact Assesment, together with the actual modelling which shows the anticipated outcome of the works and demonstrates their benefit. Don't ask how but I know they do not have this modelling and know that what they are doing will not provide any real flood relief.

The truth is, the only way to relieve this area in times of heavy flooding is to enlarge the channel through Loddon Bridge (the concrete structure on the A329, Reading Road, in front of Showcase Cinema) and the concrete channel sections built to prevent damage to the motorway and railway bridges, a scheme of this nature however would be massively expensive, certainly way beyond any flood relief budget.............. The scheme to dredge would to some degree, delay the problem by "holding" more water in the river before it spills over the floodplain. It is rubbbish basically, a political move to look like they are doing something to appease the residents and traders committees of Lower Early and Winnersh, at the cost of the environment.
 
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It beggars belief that planning permission could ever have been given for a cinema and garden centre on land that has a long history of flooding. The situation with the showcase car park is an absolute joke and it will be criminal if the habitat and associated wildlife on the Loddon is sacrificed to alleviate problems that were so predictable. I have the Loddon on my doorstep and will do anything I can to protect it - if I can be of any help to anyone in lobbying etc let me know.

Steve
 
I haven`t made the last few meetings with the Loddon Consultative due work commitments but I will be speaking to Dominic Martyn who is the EA officer for our area at the next possible chance I get. This scheme in the least has to be defferred until we get the proper rationale and reason behind it, and my intention is to vigorously challenge every aspect of it.

I will also now bring the matter to the FAS Executive Committee for discussion.

Will keep you posted.
 
(I think of her as the Otter Lady!!!),

Well it sure as hell won't do them any good, ! and it is illegal to interfere with Otters or their holts in anyway, their holts will be ripped out and crushed if the dredgers pass them, and of course that will be conveniently forgotten, whilst as anglers we are constantly reminded of it ! The law is the Law it is these sought of studies that need undertaking to acsess to damage to wildlife, no doubt it will be fudged over if the EA are allowed to do it, which it must not.

Did Will Barnard contact Martin Slater Ian ? I'm pretty sure he will be furious when he hears of this.

Ray is correct if i know the EA Flood defence Dept. this sceme is already well into the planning stage, and probably have only released the info to Dom knowing it would get out through him, rather than some reporter blowing the lid off it.
I'll bet they have already identified the sites to be dredged, earmarked the plant needed, and have presented a plan and budget to their superiors for approval.

Mark my words this will all happen so fast it will make your head swim if we don't act quickly, and i've a feeling while their on the case they will decimate the tree growth along the river as well.

As per Julians comments anything i can do to help Ian just ask.

I think Ray has pretty much identified the best course of action at this stage, he's been down this road before, and i think we ought to listen carefully to what he advises now and in weeks to come.

We need to have a proper game plan set out here to maximise efficiency and time, who's doing what and when etc etc.

Regards to all
Ian.
 
Thinking further on this, what about putting together an action group of interested / affected clubs ?

obviously and hopefully Fish legal will be the point of contact with the EA, but as a distinct group representing all the clubs affected by this would make our voice louder, for instance each club could ask all it's members to sign a petition which someone like Martin Salter hopefully would make good use of, we need people like that on board, as well as fish legal fighting our case.

contacting the newspapers to run articles in every town, on this with a statement from the group to the general public to make them aware of the damage that will be done to the wildlife and eco system of the river not just the fish.

A representative of every clubs committe on the action group would report back to each club, liase with fish legal for regular updates.

I think it's essential to not stay as a fractured group of anglers ( i know that's what the angling trust is for ) in order to get some cohesion with action we could take like i've mentioned above aside from the efforts of Fish Legal and the angling trust.

What do you all think ?

Regards
Ian.
 
Ian, that is exactly what we have, it is called the Loddon Conservation and Consultative Committee, it is made up of committee members of ALL the Loddon valley clubs, even those who only have interest on the Blackwater or Whitewater, plus all the relevant authorities and other nature or wildlife groups, no need to re-invent the wheel or create anything new, I just need to get the plans, look at what is proposed and then put together an action plan.
 
In this way, you will definately get major media and TV coverage and bring it out in the open.
Nice one Ian/julian/Graham etc...Keep going..Ray





The proposed dredging would be a total disaster for this wonderful river. More strength to your elbows gentlemen.


Regards

Hugo
 
Hi Ray,
I've just seen your PM, having only just got in from work.
I've e-mailed the editor, with contact numbers, and i'll try them tomorrow, one way or the other we should be in touch.

I also filled out the EA's online request form on monday night, they replied below.

Dear Ian

Thank you for your enquiry regarding dredging the River Loddon.

For your information, your query has been passed to our local External Relations Team (Planning and Corporate Services) for advice. They will check whether we hold this information and they will be in touch with you shortly.

Should you wish to contact them in the meantime, their details are below. Please quote your Enquiry Ref T100203/SF02 in your correspondence with us.

External Relations
Planning and Corporate Services
Environment Agency
Thames Region, South East Area
Swift House
Frimley Business Park
CAMBERLEY
GU16 7SQ
Tel: 08708 506506

I trust this information is useful.

Thank you for contacting the Environment Agency.

Regards
Stefanie Foster
Customer Service Advisor
National Customer Contact Centre - Sheffield
Enquiries: 08708 506 506
i'll give them till tomorrow evening to contact me, if they haven't i'll contact them using the number above.

Ian.
 
Crooky,
I'm not trying to re invent the wheel, just trying to get this one moving.
No one will be more pleased than me, if i've been blowing a load of hot air for nothing.

Would the LC&CC be getting a petition up and running, contacting local newspapers etc etc, it would IMO just be driving the message home that it's not just the LC&CC acting on behalf of clubs, but the individual members that see this as too important not to protest in the strongest possible terms.

I hope there is a chap in the EA Flood Dept office saying to his mate.......

all i said was it would be a good idea if we dredged the Loddon, and now i've got .... fish legal on my case, the Loddon Conservation and Consultative Committee, all the angling weeklies phoneing me, my e-mail inbox has exceeded it's quota, and to top it all i've even got this Ian Grants mother in law banging on my door !

Don't give them room to breathe, deluge them, and let them know now they are going to stir up a hornets nest, if they even think about it.

I'm even thinking of starting an online Petition to the Prime minister.

Anything i'm doing or anybody else Ian is not interfereing with or damaging anything the LC&CC may be doing.

Ian.
 
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