Agenda for Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) Board meeting on 24 January 2025
A meeting of the Board of Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) was held on Friday 24 January 2025 at the offices of Somerset Council (formerly Mendip District Council’s headquarters) in Cannard’s Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5BT.
Read a summary of decisions taken at the SRA Board meeting on 24 January 2025.
Below are lists of people who attended the meeting from across the SRA partnership, plus the meeting’s agenda and reports.
Members of SRA Board:
Cllr Mike Stanton – Chair (Somerset Council)
Tony Bradford – Vice-Chair (Parrett Internal Drainage Board)
Dr Rachel Burden (Environment Agency – substitute)
Cllr Mike Caswell (Somerset Council)
Cllr Nick Cottle (Somerset Council)
Andrew Gilling (Axe Brue Internal Drainage Board)
Rebecca Horsington (Parrett Internal Drainage Board)
Cllr Harry Munt (Somerset Council)
Claire Newill (Natural England)
Cllr Nick O’Donnell (Somerset Council)
Janette Ward (Wessex Regional Flood & Coastal Committee – substitute)
Matt Wheeldon (Wessex Water)
Cllr Ros Wyke (Somerset Council)
In attendance:
Caroline Dunn (Somerset Rivers Authority)
Sam Hitchcott (Somerset Council)
Piers Hooper (Environment Agency)
Jonathan Hudston (Somerset Rivers Authority)
David Mitchell (Somerset Rivers Authority)
Sean Papworth (Somerset Council)
John Rowlands (Somerset Rivers Authority)
Iain Sturdy (Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium)
Apologies:
Jeff Fear (Axe Brue Internal Drainage Board)
Donna Gowler (Natural England)
David Jenkins (Wessex Regional Flood & Coastal Committee)
Ian Withers (Environment Agency)
AGENDA
1 Apologies for Absence
Purpose: Welcome and Clarification
Lead: Chair
2 Declarations of interest
Purpose: Transparency
Lead: Chair
3 Minutes of previous meeting held on 20 September 2024
Purpose: To agree accuracy
Lead: Chair
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 3 Draft Minutes of SRA Board Meeting on 20 September 2024
4 Public Question Time
Purpose: To give the public chance to ask questions
Lead: Chair
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 4 Public Questions to SRA Board 24 January 2025
5 Administration
Purpose: To review and approve the 2025-26 meeting dates
Lead: David Mitchell
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 5 SRA Board Paper SRA Administration 24 January 2025
6 Communications Update
Purpose: Verbal update from the SRA Communications Manager
Lead: Jonathan Hudston
7 Finance Report and Enhanced Programme Performance Monitoring
Purpose: a) To update the Board on Quarter 2 2024-25 Finance Report
b) To update the Board on Quarter 2 2024-25 Performance Monitoring.
Lead: Sam Hitchcott, Caroline Dunn
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 7a SRA Board Paper Quarter 2 2024 25 Finance Report 24 January 2025
ITEM 7b Board Paper Quarter 2 2024-25 Performance Monitoring Report 24 January 2025
PLEASE NOTE: The main finance reports for Item 7 are not confidential, but additional detailed financial information will be made available only to SRA Board Members as an Appendix to Item 7a. The additional detailed financial information contains exempt information and is therefore marked Confidential – Not for Publication. At any point if Members wish to discuss the detailed financial information within these papers then the Board will be asked to agree the following resolution to exclude the press and public:
Exclusion of the Press and Public
To consider passing a resolution under Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 to exclude the press and public from the meeting on the basis that if they were present during the business to be transacted there would be a likelihood of disclosure of exempt information, within the meaning of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.
Reason: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).
8 Proposed 2025-26 Enhanced Programme and Budget
Purpose: To review and approve the draft 2025-26 Proposed Enhanced Programme and Budget
Leads: David Mitchell
Documents (downloadable PDFs): ITEM 8 SRA Board Paper 2025-26 Enhanced Programme and Budget 24 January 2025
ITEM 8 Appendix 1 SRA Enhanced Programme 2025-26 scheme descriptions
9 National Rainwater Management Strategy
Purpose: To Provide the Board with an Update
Lead: Matt Wheeldon
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 9 Information Item SRA Board National Rainwater Management Strategy 24 January 2025
10 River Brue Modelling update
Purpose: Progress update on modelling and next steps
Lead: Sean Papworth
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 10 SRA Board Paper Brue Project 24 January 2025
11 River Sowy – King’s Sedgemoor Drain (KSD) Enhancement Scheme
Purpose: To provide the Board with a progress update on a) KSD bank raising b) KSD outfall structures
Lead: Iain Sturdy
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 11 SRA Board Paper KSD Outfalls and Banks Update 24 January 2025
12 Strategic Risk Report
Purpose: Annual review of the SRA Risk Register
Lead: David Mitchell
Document (downloadable PDF): ITEM 12 SRA Board Paper Strategic Risks 24 January 2025
13 Bridgwater Tidal Barrier
Purpose: To provide the Board with a project update and request change to annual reporting
Lead: Ross Edwards
Documents (downloadable PDs): ITEM 13 SRA Board Paper Bridgwater Tidal Barrier 24 January 2025
ITEM 13 Appendix Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Newsletter SRA Board Paper 24 January 2025
14 Community Flood Action Fund
Purpose: To provide the Board with an update on the Fund’s launch
Lead: David Mitchell
15 Any Other Business (AOB)
Purpose: Please notify the Chair of AOB in advance of the meeting
For more information relating to the meeting, such as public attendance and access, please see the Public Guidance notes below:
Document (downloadable PDF): SRA Board Meeting Agenda and Public Guidance Notes 24 January 2024
Next SRA Board meeting: 10am on Friday 7 March 2025 at the Somerset Council offices in Brympton Way, Yeovil (formerly the headquarters of South Somerset District Council).