You are here:

Chairs and ordinary members appointed to Regional Flood Defence Committees

   

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Ref: 151/09
Date: 1 July 2009

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has today made the following appointments to Regional Flood Defence Committees (RFDC).

  • Amanda Nobbs as Chair of Thames;
  • Frank Major as Chair of Northumbria;
  • and Alan Lovell as Chair of Wessex.

Defra has also appointed Brian O’Hare as Ordinary Member of North West RFDC, Hilary Bishop as Ordinary Member of North West RFDC and Gita Rae as Ordinary Member of South West RFDC.

Regional Flood Defence Committees are responsible for decisions made on flood and coastal erosion defence works carried out in their regions by the Environment Agency.

All six appointments will take effect from 1 July 2009 and will run until 30 June 2012.

Defra is responsible for appointing the Chair of the committee and a number of members. Two other members are nominated by the Environment Agency and the local authorities in the area appoint the remainder of the members.

 

Notes to editors

1. The vacancies were advertised in the national press and on Environment Agency, Defra and other stakeholder websites in February 2009. The appointments followed procedures set out in the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice.

2. The Environment Agency is required by the Environment Act 1995 to exercise its flood defence and land drainage functions through RFDCs (apart from certain financial duties). These functions include the construction and maintenance of river and sea defences against flooding and provision of flood warning systems and the regulation and improvement of watercourses to alleviate flooding of land and property.

3. RFDCs are required to take an interest in all flood matters in their area and in particular to take decisions about the annual programmes of improvement and maintenance work to be carried out by the Agency. They must also decide on such matters as the extension of main rivers, the making and operation of land drainage byelaws and various issues affecting any internal drainage boards in their area. They are required annually to approve estimates of expenditure and to determine the amounts to be levied by the Agency on constituent councils.

4. The ordinary appointments do not attract pay but Chair posts attract a remuneration currently set at £17,244.

End

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960

Public enquiries: 08459 335577
News releases available on our website:
www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development

Page published: 1 July 2009