Focus on Flooding

Welcome to the latest EcoNewsOnline, bringing you the most up-to-date information on the proposed Brigg Renewable Energy Plant. In this issue, we will be focussing on the issue of flooding.


Our Development

Land around the New River Ancholme has a long history of flooding, and although these incidents cannot be prevented entirely by our proposals, the measures set out here will ensure that Brigg REP will not contribute to the problem. We take our responsibility to ensuring our development has the very best flood prevention measures very seriously. We have worked closely and extensively with the Environment Agency, which scrutinises every aspect of our proposal.

Dealing with Rainwater

Present
Currently, rain that falls on the former sugar beet factory site – the proposed location for the Brigg Renewable Energy Plant - drains via a pumping station to the river Humber, 15km to the north. This ageing infrastructure requires frequent maintenance to keep it working, and is not a system that would be accepted today, particularly given the additional stresses imposed by our changing weather patterns.

Our plans
Working in consultation with the Environment Agency and the Ancholme Internal Drainage Board, we have designed a drainage scheme that meets today’s rigorous standards. The plans have Environment Agency approval and will be managed independently by the Ancholme Internal Drainage Board.

Under our plans, rain that falls on the paved and roofed areas of the Brigg REP site will be collected in a lagoon via a series of gullies and underground pipes. Rainwater will be stored in the lagoon until it is appropriate to drain it slowly into Scawby Beck.

A lot of thought has gone into the volume of the lagoon. Statistical records show that 1,075 cubic metres of water would fall on the built areas of the site during the worst storm that could be expected in a 100 year period. The lagoon holds over 2,200 cubic metres. The extra volume ensures that there is enough storage available to hold water for long periods until it can be discharged safely into Scawby Beck.

Flood Waters

Present
The land in the north-eastern part of the Brigg REP site is the lowest lying of the area. Should the banks of the River Ancholme or Scawby Beck break, this is the area that would hold the flood waters.

The diagram shows what happens to the site at present if either the Ancholme or Scawby Beck breaches their banks."

Our Plans

The facility has been designed so that the majority of the buildings are located in the north-eastern part of the site, which will be raised to 4 metres to take it out of the flood plain. It is essential that this loss of flood plain is replaced within our site boundary, so that flood waters are not displaced onto neighbouring land.

We propose to reduce levels in the unoccupied areas of the site to 2.2m. We will also build a flood storage area underneath the straw barns. These measures will carefully balance the loss of floodplain with a new area, capable of storing 5791m³ more flood water than the site currently accommodates. This is the equivalent of 2 Olympic sized swimming pools - water that would otherwise have contributed to flooding in the vicinity of the site.

Flood Prevention Measures –
A Summary

Given the flooding incidents that have beset Scawby Brook in recent years, it is understandable that residents are concerned about any plans for the former sugar beet factory site.

Drainage and flood management proposals that form part of the Brigg Renewable Energy Plant have been carefully designed to improve the situation. The drainage proposals ensure that storm water is collected and drained in a controlled and reliable way. The alteration of the site levels will create an almost 6000m³ of extra space for flood waters, significantly decreasing the risk of more extensive flooding.

The wider benefit of plants like Brigg REP is in the reduction of carbon emissions, thereby helping to combat the very issue that contributes to the frequency and severity of flooding incidents in the first place. Brigg REP would never claim to be the whole solution to local flooding or global climate change, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Find out more

If you want to find out more then our website has a specific page on flood issues (www.briggrep.co.uk/info1e.html). This contains links to the full chapter of the Environmental Assessment and the underlying Flood Risk Assessment.

Our Project at a Glance

By using locally sourced straw to generate green energy, the £90 million Brigg Renewable Energy Plant will bring 80 new jobs, over £20 million in construction contracts and £6 million per year in straw supply contracts – a sustainable boost to the local economy.

Overall, the plant will save 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year by avoiding burning fossil fuels to generate electricity – making a notable contribution to the UK’s fight against climate change. It will produce enough electricity to supply 65,000 homes, equivalent to all the homes in North Lincolnshire.