Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

Following the flooding of a number of properties in Woodbury Salterton in Dec 2015

the Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group was set up with the aid of 2000 funded
through Devon County Council.
Through liaison and assistance of officers at Devon County Council, the Environment
Agency and various landowners a study of the flooding within the village has been
carried out to examine the reasons for the flooding and to ascertain if measures can
be put in place to prevent properties from flooding in the future.
The Map shows the extent of surface water flooding along Village Road, Parkhayes
and Honey Lane.

Flood level on Honey Lane 1972

This was prior to the Houses being
built in Parkhayes and off Honey
Lane
above
photograph taken

The
by the Rivers Authority in
1972 which shows the height
of the flooding at the junction
of Honey Lane and Village
Road which was one metre
high.

Using this measurement and

analysing the effect of a
metre high flood in this
location it now suggests that
the housing that could be
damaged will be in the region
of 16 properties by a similar
event.
EA Flood Map for Woodbury Salterton

Key Locations.
There are 3 locations that seriously effect flooding in the village.
1.

Village Stream between Trevanin Farm and Longbrook House

The road in this area becomes flooded to a depth of 300 mm because a tributary
overflows onto the road from the West and joins the main watercourse on the
Eastern side of the lane.

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

During the December 2015 flooding a number of cars failed to pass through the
flood and due to water damage where deemed to be un-economic to repair by
the owners insurance companies.
Flooding which does not damage properties is considered to a nuisance flood
and as the level quickly recedes the Authorities do not consider that engineering
works to reduce flooding at this location would be financially justified.
Following damage by water
undercutting the retaining
wall of the road, it was in

Flood Event Dec 2015 Trevanin Farm and Longbrook House

danger of falling into the stream. Devon

County Council brought forward remedial
work to strengthen this wall and the work
completed Feb 2016.

Repaired Wall to Village Rd

This work has stabilised the road but has not

reduced the flooding during a flood event.
2. Village RoadStony Lane
Culvert.
Flood water at
this location is
identified as too
great for the
Victorian built
Culvert under Stony Lane
culvert which
goes under Stony
Lane, the School entrance and a private
driveway to the Old Vicarage an is
approximately 24 metres in length.

Flood Event Dec 2015 Stony

Lane Culvert

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

The water cascades over the parapet wall of the culvert and joins flood water
flooding down Stony Lane. This water then flows down Village Road past the church
and meets further flood water flowing down Higher Road and further water unable
to pass under the Honey Lane Culvert.
The result of this forces water down Parkhayes and driveways off Honey Lane to
flood residential properties.

Flood Event Dec 2015 Junction of Honey Lane and Village Road

3.

The Honey Lane Bridge/ culvert

This culvert has had an additional improvement culvert

added in the 1980s but due the volume of flood water
and the angle of the bridge is to the stream the flow of
water is reduced, preventing the full flow of water to
flow on downstream and therefore water flows into
Honey Lane.
It is accepted that the 2 culverts are unable handle the
volume of water during a flood event. Both
bridges/culverts are the responsibility of Devon CC
highways as they both carry an adopted road.
The cost of replacing the Stony Lane culvert would be
in the regain of 130,000 to 324,000 and Honey Lane
Bridge possibly a smaller amount

Honey Lane Culvert/Bridge

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

Woodbury Salterton School

Culvert Replacement
Estimate
Length of culvert (m)
Assumed new x section area
Cost per m length high
estimate
Cost per m length low
estimate

Total cost (high estimate)

Total cost (low estimate)

24 m (estimate)
2 m2 (estimate)

13,500.00

2010 figure

4,700.00 2010 figure

2010 value
324,000.00
112,800.00

2015 estimate
372,600.00
129,720.00

Like all bridges they all have a limited life and therefore a requirement for funds to
be available for repairs and/or replacement. By bringing forward expenditure for
these bridges and raising money from other
sources it is possible to considerably improve
the flow through these 2 obstacles by building
much larger culverts. This would help
floodwater continue in the course of the
stream.
However due to the considerable cost these to
engineering solutions will not be easy to
implement.
The cost of a dwelling being flood damaged is
in the regain of 50,000 and the number of
properties that are liable to be flooded is 16
therefore a possible cost of 800,000 pay out in
insurance claims if a 1972 event happened
again.
The study has also identified other remedial
work that can be carried out on the stream
between Stony Lane and 100 metres beyond
Honey Lane Bridge.
This work can be carried out under the
umbrella of the Resilience Group and by using
volunteer labour and a contractor.

Stream running through churchyard

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016
1.

Woodbury Parish Council

Reduce the stream bed level within the churchyard by mechanical digger

2.
Use a mechanical digger to reduce the angle of the bank at Honey Bridge
(upstream)
3.

Remove Willow tree by Honey Bridge (North side)

Willow tree to
be removed

Honey Lane Culvert downstream

with Willow Tree encroachment

The cost of removing the Willow tree is approximately 650 and the Root grinding
250. Western Power has to visit this location almost yearly because of overhead
power lines. It is therefore hoped that Western Power would contribute to the
funding.
4.

Use a mechanical digger to reduce angle of bank Honey Lane (downstream)

Whilst investigating the effects of the floods it

was discovered that approximately 100 years
ago a ditch had been dug as a drainage
channel. This has been hidden by trees and
undergrowth and acts as a hedge boundary.
The land ownership is with a local resident Nigel
Edwards who owns the wood and Greendale
owners of the field. There are discussions

Drainage channel
covered with
undergrowth
Hedge boundary downstream of Honey
Lane.
Relief channel 3 metres under hedge

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

ongoing between the Resilience Group and the 2 owners to see if it is agreeable to
dig out this channel.
5.

Clear Vegetation from the overflow channel by volunteers

6.

Dig out with Mechanical Digger the relief channel

7.

Dig out a deeper trench along the downstream boundary of Honey Lane

Note
A possible solution for some of the gravel material from areas of the stream bed where it is
causing flow issues.
There are a few footpaths, bridleways and by-ways which have got very boggy sections, or
large puddles. This material can be used to improve these areas, which again would benefit
the people of the parish?
The cost of this work is historically the responsibility of the land owners for ordinary
water courses and ditches.
However in this case there are a number of owners and these works are possibly
substantial improvements to existing natural and manmade structures. The
beneficiaries of the improvements are not the landowners and therefore to expect
the landowners to be responsible to the whole costs would prove impossible.
However Devon County Council Highways, the Church Commissionaires, and a few
other landowners could benefit from these improvements. It is hoped that those
stakeholders who will benefit will contribute to the total funding
The plan is to request a donation from the properties that would benefit and to
request funding from other sources to carry out these groundworks.

Conclusion
Within the Parish of Woodbury, both the Environment Agency and Devon County
Council have permissive powers to reduce flood risk to properties. They both also
have responsibilities for consenting works in and by watercourses too. Who is
responsible is dependent on the legal status of the watercourse concerned.
As the Woodbury Brook is designated as a Main River the Environment Agency is
the lead flooding authority for the villages of Exton and Woodbury, which includes
the existing flood defence scheme.
The Village Stream in Woodbury Salterton is designated Non-Main River and Devon
County Council is the lead local flood authority in this situation.
A Riparian Owner owns the land contiguous with a watercourse (which can
include drainage ditches) and they are normally deemed to own up to the centre
of that watercourse. They are responsible for maintaining flows and not increasing
flood risk. If they need to do any works beyond simple clearance, they should talk to
the relevant flood authority for advice.

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

This piecemeal archaic system of responsibility will never successfully remove the
ongoing problems in Woodbury Salterton, as generally the riparian owners are not
the victims of the flooding but residents downstream.
It is also recognised that Devon County Councils who has the whole of the county to
manage, is under resourced to establish and manage the numerous elements of a
flood scheme.
To enable a cohesive response to the challenge of increasing flood events and to
prevent further dwellings being flooded with the village of Woodbury Salterton there
is a requirement for the Parish Council through the Resilience Group to take the lead
in co-ordinating the response.

The Proposed Plan

The improvements to the stream bed, the overflow channel and remodelling the
bends will assist the flow of flood water and may prevent further property flooding.
With working with landowners and volunteers and a contractor the cost would be in
the regain of 6000
It is hoped that this work can be achieved within the next 6 months.
The Culvert removal and replacements requires substantially more funding and
constant pressure on the Authorities to carry this work out.

Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group

Report 01/05/2016

Woodbury Parish Council

The Resilience group will work on behalf of the Parish Council to facilitate a
satisfactory solution to substantially reduce the risk of property flooding in Woodbury
Salterton.