© Environment Agency

© Environment Agency
Regeneration
after the floods
How did Boscastle do it ?

In 2004 the Cornish village of Boscastle witnessed one of the most Boscastle – the facts
extreme flooding events ever experienced in Britain. At its peak, the • Around 1,000 residents and
equivalent of 100 tonnes of water flowed through the village every visitors affected
• Miraculously, no fatalities, with
second. The resulting disaster affected over 1,000 people with
only 1 reported casualty – a broken
major community infrastructure demolished. Fiona Fraser-Smith thumb.
takes a look at how the community worked together to rebuild the • 7 helicopters airlifted 100 people
(including 6 firefighters) to safety.
village and finds a successful partnership approach to regeneration.
• 29 out of the 31 Cornwall County
Fire Brigade stations were involved
On 16 August 2004 Boscastle village Boscastle Regeneration Steering Group in the incident and remained at
was ravaged by floods. It was one of the (BRSG) and the Boscastle Chamber of Boscastle for 7 days, assisting in
most extreme alluvial flooding events Commerce. With so many stakeholders the clean-up operation.
experienced in Britain. Exceptional responsible for the region (see ‘key • 58 properties were flooded, 4 of
rainfall caused the River Valency to players in the regeneration of Boscastle’) which were demolished,
burst its banks and within 24 hours, 200 and with so many decisions to make, a • A further 40 properties were
mm of rain fell with floodwaters partnership approach was essential for flooded in the surrounding area.
sweeping through the historic effective coordination and planning of • 4 footbridges along the Valency
conservation area of the village, Boscastle’s regneration. The first Valley were washed away.
destroying homes, businesses, cars and meeting was held, just five weeks after • 100 cars swept down the village
the natural environment. the flood. Its role? To act as a central into the harbour.
hub and catalyst for all activities and • Infrastructure damage to buildings
The local authority dialogue associated with the rebuilding and services, cost estimated £2
North Cornwall District Council acted and regeneration of Boscastle. million.
immediately by taking control of the
flooded area. After 10 days, members of One of the group’s first actions was to
the community returned to their produce a monthly newsletter with
properties to start the slow process of information on all aspects of Boscastle’s
rebuilding their homes and businesses. regeneration. In 2007, the newsletter is
still produced and distributed to all
Perhaps the single most important act households in the community through
for Boscastle’s successful regeneration funding from Government Office.
was the Council establishing the

10 The edge Winter 2007

The national organisation
Following the floods, the Environment
Agency commissioned a special study
involving various stakeholders. The
findings, published in January 2005,
became a major part of the subsequent
planning process. The findings
confirmed the affected area was an
existing floodplain, with a history of less
severe flooding. It advised that
damaged buildings could be rebuilt or
replaced within the flooded area on the
assumption that an effective flood
protection scheme was also installed.
Planning proposals were designed to
limit the impact of future flooding by
reducing the depth and speed of future
flood events and to re-design areas
where debris became blocked. Work has
now started on the scheme and is due
for completion in Spring 2008. The
building and engineering work will cost
in the region of £4,500,000.
To design a coherent flood prevention
scheme the Environment Agency also
worked through the Steering Group and
with the major landowner in the area,
The National Trust.
The landowner
The National Trust and its local
representative Jeff Cherrington are
playing an important role in the
regeneration of Boscastle. As a local
property owner it already had strong
links with the community which were
‘galvanised by the flooding’. In addition
it was able to contribute to the planning
process due to significant knowledge of
the local infrastructure as well as the
historical aspects of the regeneration.
Post-flood it was important to ‘retain as
much of the local fabric’ of the
buildings as possible and three ‘Helping
the Harbour’ days where 60 – 70 local
people came to help clear the harbour of
stones and debris were organised. Many
of the stones were re-used as people
rebuilt their gardens and properties.
Working strategically through the
steering group, The National Trust
began making plans for restoration and
improvement of the flooded
conservation area. Alongside the Parish
Council it prepared an application for
The key players in the
Objective 1 funding to help sustain the
regeneration of Boscastle
community and maintain visitor
The local authority – North
numbers. The application was
Cornwall District Council – among
successful with £700,000 awarded,
other things it is responsible for flood
matched by a further £700,000 from the
and tidal defences on some rivers and
National Trust and council. For George
streams not controlled by the
Findlay, Parish Council chairman at the
Environment Agency and to develop
time, the funding allowed them to “put
and implement major incident plans.
a polish on the village and improve the
Was responsible for setting up the
appearance of their conservation area”.
Boscastle Steering Group with the goal
of consensus and communication
The community
The national organisation – The
Two years after the disaster although
Environment Agency is responsible for
there is still a lot to be done, a
flood risk management, maintaining
significant amount of progress has been
flood defences on coasts and main
made. Boscastle has been able to
designated rivers, issuing flood
achieve this through the partnership-
warnings and flood risk advice.
based approach of the Steering Group.
The landowner – The National Trust
The original community playing field in
is a major landowner owning river
the valley was no longer suitable due to
banks, footpaths, buildings as well as
flood risk but through negotiation with
300 acres of land in the immediate area
the National Trust, the Parish Council
including the harbour area as well as
have been able to obtain a new area.
some key properties such as the Youth
Funding provided by South West Lions
Hostel, Harbour Café which is being
Club and Objective 1 will enable them
converted to make the new Visitors
to add a children’s play area which the
Centre.
community did not have before the
The community – The Parish
floods.
council was responsible for
representing and communicating the
Despite the enormity of the disaster in
views of the community.
August of 2004 Boscastle has survived.
Local business – The Boscastle
They have worked together as a
Chamber of Commerce was set up to
community and the Steering Group has
ensure local businesses had adequate
enabled agencies to effectively work
representation in regeneration
with each other as well as the
decisions.
community.
Local providers – These included
companies responsible for various
Fiona Fraser-Smith
insfrastructure and utilities and
Email: fionasmermaids@netzero.com
included South West Water, BT,
Tel: 07900 212747
Western Power and County Highways.
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