Houseboats "Benfleet" and "Riverside" SAVED

On Thursday 9^th June 2011, the Development Control Committee of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames gave permanent planning permission for residential moorings at Canbury Wharf. The unusual decision was made against the advice given by the Environment Agency, the statutory authority for assessing flood risk. This is a considerable achievement for the Residential Boat Owners’ Association (RBOA) whose Thames representative proved that the Agency’s flood model was inconsistent.

Members of the Development Control Committee took the view that there were too many inconsistencies in the Environment Agency flood model for them to feel bound by the Agency’s advice.

The inconsistencies were discovered by Basil Rickard, RBOA representative on the Thames. His research over the last two years uncovered 100 years’ of handwritten records of river and tidal heights at Teddington lock, including the 1947 flood. These records were not apparently known to the flood mapping staff. He proved quite serious inconsistencies between their computer flood model (2005 version) and his analysis of river flow at Kingston. For example he proved that the computer model had not been calibrated against known data. The known data was hugely inconsistent with the computer prediction for a 1 in 5 year flood event, so obviously the model’s predictions for larger floods could not be relied on.

The Environment Agency is the statutory authority on floods. Normally therefore, Basil’s analysis could not have been taken into account by the committee. However it was backed as being sound research, with reliable conclusions, by a chartered civil engineer. With that extra, and very important backing, the members decided to act on the RBOA’s analysis.

This is a very unusual thing to happen, possibly unique. We understand that the borough is about to report itself to the Secretary of State, for breaking National, London and its own local planning policies and for going against the advice of a statutory authority. There is a period of several weeks in which objections can be made, so the matter is not settled yet.

We found out a couple of weeks ago that the Agency now has a new model, made in 2010 and we know this one has been calibrated against some known data. Based on a very small handful of figures, Basil’s tentative view is that the 2010 model is better, but it does not seem to address inconsistencies for 1 in 100 year flood events. The new model will be thoroughly examined as soon as it is available.

The planning application was also backed by the river community, led by Michael Shefras MBE. This is a most welcome occurrence. It brings to an end a period of several years in which many outright lies about the owners of Benfleet and Riverside have been peddled along the river and, at least at first, to some extent believed. As recently as January 2010 there was a deliberate attempt to force the RBOA to withdraw support for an earlier application for planning permission. This was thwarted by the sound judgment of the vice chair of a major river organization, who realised he had been misinformed.

There was a moment of high comedy. One committee member said “call me a cynical old politician but can I be assured that the last minute flurry of objections [to the planning application] were not gathered by frantic phone calls". When Andrew Graham, Waterways Manager answered, after a considerable pause, "no one at this table made any calls" - the entire meeting collapsed in laughter.

For further information contact-

Basil Rickard, RBOA Thames Representative, mobile 07810 480526 or email b.rickard@palmerswharf.com

Rex Walden, RBOA Chairman, mobile 07768 605841, email chairman@rboa.org.uk