EA Report of 26 February 2024 - Find a freedom of information request

1. Which officer/s read and technically analysed the EA Report of the 26, February,2024. Did they consider it was accurate and acceptable? IF NOT, WHY.

2. Were any technical flaws found what were they and what action was taken if wrong.

3. Have the officer/s visited the FAS and inspected the installation and ascertained what might have failed to deliver its intended function.

4. Was a report presented to Council/Committee regarding their findings and assessments. Provide a copy.

5. Did Officer/s meet with the EA at any time to discuss the report. Explain number of times and with whom, discussions that took place and actions agreed.

6. Please provide a copy of the brief given to GeoSmart, to carry out the Peer Review.

7. How did LCC consider that GeoSmart were independent, bearing in mind that they were already commissioned to carryout the Section 19 schedules.

8. The remit for GeoSmart did not cover events downstream of the confluence of the Bain and Waring. The fact that the EA report of the 26th February omitted this part of the Bain was not correct and should have been included in the Geo Smart remit. LCC should have known this and GeoSmart should have insisted that this was part of their remit using their professional competence. See item 10 below.

9. Was the GeoSmart Report analysed and checked technically and did the Officer/s agree with its findings and IF NOT why and what action are they taking.

10. Are LCC going to commission a truly Independent Report and properly brief the appointed consultant. IF NOT WHY?

11. What were the fees paid by LCC for the Section 19 schedules for Horncastle?

12. What was the fee paid for the Peer Review?

13. If it is found that the EA are liable for the flooding of Horncastle due to failures in other equipment other than the FAS will LCC sue the EA for negligence.

14. If it found that the EA have deliberately falsified the modelling in their report will the LCC sue them?

 I can confirm that the following information is held by Lincolnshire County Council;

1. The technical expertise to accurately assess the content of the EA reports does not lie within Lincolnshire County Council. The work was therefore commissioned to Geosmart Information Limited.

2. Recommendations have been made in the peer review report produced by Geosmart Information Limited and passed to the Environment Agency to be actioned.

3. This was not part of the brief. Geosmart Information Limited undertook work as per the brief which was to solely validate the approach the Environment Agency took to producing their technical reports as part of a peer review into the operation of the Flood Relief Reservoir.

4. The peer review report was included as an appendices to the Flood and Water Management team update report at the 14th October 2024 meeting of the Councils Flood and Water Management Scrutiny committee. Members of the committee were invited to comment on the report. Environment Agency representatives were in attendance to answer questions. The agenda, reports pack and recording of the meeting can be found on the Lincolnshire County council website here https://lincolnshire.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=581&MId=8639&Ver=4

5. Lincolnshire County Council officers, and the report author from Geosmart, met with Environment Agency representatives in September 2024 to make the report available and discuss the recommendations made in the report. Environment Agency representatives accepted the report and agreed to take away to work on the recommendation therein. This course of action was confirmed at the Flood and Water Scrutiny Committee meeting on 14th October.

6. Attached

7. The initial request was to undertake an independent review outside of the Environment Agency of the original technical reports produced by them. Technical expertise in this area does not lie within Lincolnshire County Council and the work was therefore commissioned to Geosmart Information Limited who were already undertaking an independent Section 19 Investigation into flooding experienced in the wider Horncastle area. It was therefore felt that some knowledge of the area would be beneficial in reviewing the reports in question. LCC have no reason to doubt the professional integrity of Geosmart Information Limited and therefore consider that an independent approach has been taken.

8. Following the MP meeting held in Horncastle on 1st March 2024 the request made was for LCC to arrange an independent review with regards the approach the Environment Agency took to producing the existing reports. This was the brief provided to Geosmart Information Limited and is the extent of the work they have carried out in producing the peer review report.

9. Technical expertise in this area does not lie within Lincolnshire County Council. For this reason the work was commissioned to Geosmart Information Limited. The peer review report produced by Geosmart has been passed to Environment Agency officers who are the subject matter experts for the area in question and have the technical knowledge of the operation of the Flood Alleviation Reservoir. 

10. No further work is to be commissioned. Geosmart Information Limited have produced a report as per the brief provided.

11. Geosmart Information Limited were commissioned to deliver a package of work relating to Section 19 Investigations across a number of locations in Lincolnshire, not just Horncastle. Therefore, there is no set price per report, but an average cost across the whole work package would equate to £2,783.28

12.  £6000, as identified in the attached brief

13. No

14. No. As subject matter experts there is no reason to believe any information has been falsified by the Environment Agency and professional integrity has not been exercised.

Should you require the attachments mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.