Sunday, February 07, 2016

Perverse policy and practice....flooding

My colleague Dick Morris has sent the following item from the latest Energy and Environment Management Magazine (an on-line a UK-based monthly update of news/developments).

He, like I, find it unimaginable that such unsound policy should be put into practice. It represents a major waste of resources and is far from being a systemic response to flooding. 

Lincolnshire flood plain housing to have £13 million defence scheme

Post Date: 12 January 2016

Engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald has been appointed by North Lincolnshire Council to design a £13 million flood defence scheme for the new Lincolnshire Lakes multi-village development near Scunthorpe, UK.

The £1.2 billion Lincolnshire Lakes scheme is a strategic regeneration project which will see six new villages created on a flood plain to the west of Scunthorpe. Approximately 6,000 homes, a primary school, stadium, community centre and retirement home, with new access roads and local shops are planned to be built among a series of artificial lakes by 2028. One of the key components of the scheme is to deliver a flood management solution to ensure a safe development, free from flooding.

Mott MacDonald will undertake flood modelling and the detailed design of flood defences, with associated ground investigation studies in the first quarter of 2016, with construction to begin shortly after. The area the project will cover is the 3.6km of the River Trent between the M180 and the southern boundary of Keadby Bridge near Althorpe.

Colin Greensill, Mott MacDonald’s project director, said: “North Lincolnshire Council’s investment will help prevent any future flooding into the new villages while also help improve flood defences for existing villages as well."

Summer school - knowledge co-production

I have received the following advice from Mathieu Dionnet

"Dear colleagues,

For your information and for dissemination, Lisode co-organises with ISEG-Lisbon and UFZ-Leipzig a five-days international Summer School called: Concepts and tools to engage in knowledge co-production and public participation. This second edition will take place in Agropolis International, Montpellier, France, from June 27th to July 1st 2016.

For more information, please look at the flyer for the course which is restricted to 20 participants or send a message to summerschool2016@lisode.com"

I have no first hand experience of this offering so can not offer any advice to those interested.