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Written Question
Floods: River Quaggy
Wednesday 9th January 2019

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential risk from contamination to the Bowring sports ground as a result of flooding from the River Quaggy.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The water quality in the River Quaggy is tested regularly by the Environment Agency, however river water quality is only one factor that can contribute to contamination in a flooding event. In times of flood there is the potential for additional contamination such as sewage leaking from flooded drains.

Public Health England has published guidance for those responding to flooding emergencies and undertaking subsequent recovery activity. This guidance includes the potential public health risks associated with the flooding of sport playing fields and is available to view here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/348917/Guidance_on_Recovery_from_Flooding_essential_info_from_frontline_responders.pdf


Written Question
Flood Control: Greenwich
Wednesday 24th October 2018

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the risk of flooding at properties neighbouring the Quaggy river as a result of alterations to the flood defenses and construction of a school on the Bowring sports ground.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Environment Agency (EA) is in pre-application discussions with the Education Funding Agency and Robert West Architects with regards to potential alterations to flood defences at Bowring sports ground.

The EA is seeking changes to improve the proposed access route to the flood storage area, access to the flood wall, confidence over the ability to raise the wall for future climate change if needed, and the long term stability of the flood wall.

These measures will ensure that the EA can maintain the flood defence assets and ensure flood risk is not increased, now or in the future.


Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Written Questions
Wednesday 25th October 2017

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons he has not yet answered Questions 106497, 106498 and 106499, on flood control: Greenwich; and when he plans to answer those questions.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

Questions 106497, 106498 and 106499 were answered on 19 October 2017.


Written Question
Flood Control: Greenwich
Thursday 19th October 2017

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether funding has been approved for the relocation of flood barriers on the Bowring Sports Ground to make way for a free school; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Environment Agency has no record of any contact from the Education Skills Funding Agency prior to December 2015. The Environment Agency was contacted by the Education Skills Funding Agency in December 2015 regarding the potential purchase of land in Bowring Sports Ground to build a new school on the site.

The Environment Agency met the Education Skills Funding Agency in March 2016 to discuss their proposals and to provide planning advice. No change to the flood defences was proposed at that time. The proposal to relocate flood defences on the Bowring Sports Ground site was first put forward in June 2017 by Robert West Architects and discussions with them are ongoing.

The Environment Agency requires developers to demonstrate that their proposals do not increase flood risk. The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee in the planning process. The Environment Agency will not support any application which does not include an adequate flood risk assessment. The Environment Agency will assess detailed proposals and a flood risk assessment in relation to this application, once provided by Robert West Architects.

The developer will be liable for the costs of any modification to the flood defences.


Written Question
Flood Control: Greenwich
Thursday 19th October 2017

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the risk of flooding to properties adjacent to the Quaggy River as a consequence of relocating the flood defences on the Bowring Sports Ground site to make way for a free school; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Environment Agency has no record of any contact from the Education Skills Funding Agency prior to December 2015. The Environment Agency was contacted by the Education Skills Funding Agency in December 2015 regarding the potential purchase of land in Bowring Sports Ground to build a new school on the site.

The Environment Agency met the Education Skills Funding Agency in March 2016 to discuss their proposals and to provide planning advice. No change to the flood defences was proposed at that time. The proposal to relocate flood defences on the Bowring Sports Ground site was first put forward in June 2017 by Robert West Architects and discussions with them are ongoing.

The Environment Agency requires developers to demonstrate that their proposals do not increase flood risk. The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee in the planning process. The Environment Agency will not support any application which does not include an adequate flood risk assessment. The Environment Agency will assess detailed proposals and a flood risk assessment in relation to this application, once provided by Robert West Architects.

The developer will be liable for the costs of any modification to the flood defences.


Written Question
Flood Control: Greenwich
Thursday 19th October 2017

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had on relocating flood defences to make way for a free school on the Bowring Sports Ground; to who the cost of that work will fall; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Environment Agency has no record of any contact from the Education Skills Funding Agency prior to December 2015. The Environment Agency was contacted by the Education Skills Funding Agency in December 2015 regarding the potential purchase of land in Bowring Sports Ground to build a new school on the site.

The Environment Agency met the Education Skills Funding Agency in March 2016 to discuss their proposals and to provide planning advice. No change to the flood defences was proposed at that time. The proposal to relocate flood defences on the Bowring Sports Ground site was first put forward in June 2017 by Robert West Architects and discussions with them are ongoing.

The Environment Agency requires developers to demonstrate that their proposals do not increase flood risk. The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee in the planning process. The Environment Agency will not support any application which does not include an adequate flood risk assessment. The Environment Agency will assess detailed proposals and a flood risk assessment in relation to this application, once provided by Robert West Architects.

The developer will be liable for the costs of any modification to the flood defences.


Written Question
Flood Control: Greenwich
Thursday 19th October 2017

Asked by: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Education Skills Funding Agency contacted his Department to discuss the cost and suitability of relocating flood defences on the Bowring Sports Ground before December 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Environment Agency has no record of any contact from the Education Skills Funding Agency prior to December 2015. The Environment Agency was contacted by the Education Skills Funding Agency in December 2015 regarding the potential purchase of land in Bowring Sports Ground to build a new school on the site.

The Environment Agency met the Education Skills Funding Agency in March 2016 to discuss their proposals and to provide planning advice. No change to the flood defences was proposed at that time. The proposal to relocate flood defences on the Bowring Sports Ground site was first put forward in June 2017 by Robert West Architects and discussions with them are ongoing.

The Environment Agency requires developers to demonstrate that their proposals do not increase flood risk. The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee in the planning process. The Environment Agency will not support any application which does not include an adequate flood risk assessment. The Environment Agency will assess detailed proposals and a flood risk assessment in relation to this application, once provided by Robert West Architects.

The developer will be liable for the costs of any modification to the flood defences.