Environment
A third of England’s vital flood defences are in private hands

A third of England’s vital flood defences are in private hands
A third of England’s most important flood defences are in private hands, an investigation has found, with more than 1,000 found to be in a poor state and some at risk of “complete performance failure”.
Private owners cannot be forced to make upgrades to the defences, which can involve bills of hundreds of thousands of pounds. The government admits it can only “encourage” third-party owners to do maintenance, though the Environment Agency can carry out emergency repairs if there is a risk to people, property or environment, and try to bill the freeholders afterwards.
Data obtained under freedom of information laws by Unearthed, the investigative arm of Greenpeace UK, and shared with the Guardian, show that privately owned assets classed as “high consequence” are twice as likely to be in a poor condition as those maintained by the Environment Agency, with 8% or 1,109 of private defences rated as sub-par.
The defences range from flood walls or embankments to weirs and piers, though many are outfall pipes or culverts – enclosed watercourses that run underneath roads, railways or other property.
Some are owned by major landowners such as the crown estate or Network Rail. Others run under private houses and businesses, often unnoticed until something goes wrong. In 2014 a father and son in Waterlooville, Hampshire, were faced with a £150,000 bill to repair a culvert that went underneath their properties.
High-consequence flood defences are the most important because they “contribute to managing flood risk in a location where the consequence on people and property of an asset failing is high”, according to the Environment Agency.
Defences are inspected and then rated from condition 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “very good”. Four is “poor”, with “defects that would significantly reduce the performance of the asset”, and 5 is “very poor” – “severe defects resulting in complete performance failure”.
There is no public record of who owns or maintains private flood defences in England, and local authorities are often unaware. To build a partial picture of private ownership, Unearthed took Environment Agency data and overlaid it with data from the Land Registry and other sources.
Kirklees council in West Yorkshire, which dealt with bad flooding during Storm Ciara in 2020, said it did not know who owned the 23 privately owned defences in its area that were rated as poor or very poor. The local authority in Carlisle, which has seen repeated flooding in recent years, said the same about the 30 poorly rated private defences in the city.
Even when local authorities do know the owners, they cannot compel them to carry out repairs. “All we can do is ask nicely,” said James Mead, a flood and water manager at Sheffield city council, who said he contacted private owners by looking on Google Maps and cross-referencing with Environment Agency data.
Some 29 defences rated poor or very poor across England are on land owned by the crown estate, the Queen’s property manager. A spokesperson said the estate did not own the defences nor did it have responsibility for their upkeep, but did not respond when asked who was responsible.
“Where flood defences have been installed by third parties on crown estate land we will always work with the relevant authorities to offer any assistance we can to ensure they are able to access and maintain as required,” the spokesperson said.
Last year the National Audit Office said the Environment Agency’s plan to beef up England’s flood defences was being undermined by a lack of coordination between the various bodies tasked with maintaining them.
With increased flooding one of the greatest risks facing the UK as a result of the climate crisis, this year the government announced £5.2bn to build 2,000 new flood and coastal risk management schemes. Private defence owners will not be eligible to receive any of this money.
The Environment Agency estimates that 5.2m homes and businesses in England are at risk of flooding and that about 700 properties are vulnerable to coastal erosion over the next 20 years.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We routinely inspect both Environment Agency and third-party flood assets. Repairs are prioritised where there is threat to lives and livelihoods. We work closely with third party asset owners to encourage them to undertake repairs.
“Since 2015, more than 300,000 homes have been better protected from flooding on time and on budget. We’ve also made extensive preparations for the winter months, with thousands of frontline staff ready to respond to a flooding incident should it occur.”
Olivia Blake, the shadow flooding minister, said the government must do more to make sure private defences are up to scratch. “As our winters get wetter, the climate emergency will put flood defences under greater strain,” she said. “The government must act to ensure there are clear responsibilities and adequate measures in place so that any flood defences which are privately owned and critically important to the protection of the public are properly inspected and maintained.”
Environment
NiMET predicts haziness across the country from Sunday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted haziness from Sunday to Tuesday across the country.
NiMet’s weather outlook released on Saturday in Abuja, envisaged moderate dust haze on Sunday with a horizontal visibility range of 2km to 5km over the northern region of the country.
It expected localised visibilities of less than or equal to 1km over parts of Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Jigawa and Niger.
It added that parts of Kogi, Kwara and Benue will experience a few clouds in a hazy atmosphere.
According to it, in the southern parts of the country, cloudy skies with spells of sunshine are expected over the entire region with prospects of afternoon or evening.
The agency said that thunderstorms are expected over parts of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo and Delta.
It predicted moderate dust haze on Monday with a horizontal visibility range of 2km to 5km over the northern and North Central region of the country.
However, parts of Kogi, Kwara and Benue will experience a few clouds in a hazy atmosphere.
In the southern region, cloudy skies with spells of sunshine are expected over the entire region with prospects of afternoon or evening thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta
NiMet said moderate dust haze with horizontal visibility range of 2km to 5km is anticipated over the northern and North Central region of the country on Tuesday.
The agency forecast spells of sunshine over the entire region with prospects of afternoon or evening thunderstorms over parts of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo and Delta.
It further said that dust particles are in suspension, urging the public to take necessary precautions.
It advised people with asthmatic health conditions and other respiratory issues to be cautious of the present weather conditions.
The agency also urged airline operators to get airport-specific weather reports from NiMet’s office for effective planning of their operations.
Environment
Ogun government seals petrol station for alleged underground water pollution

The Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) has sealed Arolat Petrol Station, located along Ayetoro Roundabout Road in Abeokuta, over alleged underground water pollution.
This action follows a petition submitted by the Foursquare Gospel Church, situated beside the petrol station, according to Farouk Akintunde, Special Adviser to the Governor on Environmental Protection.
The petition claimed that the church’s only water source, a well, had been contaminated with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Akintunde stated that the agency’s enforcement team sealed the petrol station to conduct a thorough investigation. The probe will assess the areas affected, the extent of the contamination, and the current status of the underground water.
“As a responsive and responsible agency, the safety and wellbeing of our people is paramount and must not be compromised for any reason,” Akintunde emphasized.
The facility will remain sealed until the investigation is concluded.
Environment
NiMet predicts three-day sunshine, haziness

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and haziness from Monday to Wednesday across the country.
NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged sunny skies on Monday in a hazy atmosphere over both the northern and North central regions of the country throughout the forecast period.
According to NiMet, a hazy atmosphere with patches of clouds is anticipated over the region throughout the forecast period in the southern region.
“For Tuesday, sunny and hazy skies are expected over the North and North Central states throughout the
forecast period.
”In the southern region, patches of clouds in hazy atmosphere is expected over the region throughout the forecast period.
”There are prospects of localised thunderstorms over parts of Ogun, Delta, Lagos, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states,” it said.
NiMet predicted sunny and hazy skies over the North and North Central regions throughout
the forecast period on Wednesday.
According to NiMet, hazy atmosphere with patches of clouds are expected over the South during the forecast period.
It anticipated thunderstorms over parts of Ogun, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Lagos, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States later in the day.
“The agency urged the public to take necessary precaution as dust particles are in suspension.
People with asthmatic health condition and other respiratory issues should be cautious of the present weather condition.
“Strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur, public should take adequate precaution.
“Adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities.
Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.”
NiMet advised the residents to stay informed through its weather updates and to visit its website.
(NAN)
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