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How the Morpeth Scheme fared under the old funding system
An Outcome Measure (OM) score determined whether a scheme would be successful or not. This score was made up of an accumulation of scores for different OM categories.
These different Outcome Measures were:
- OM1 – Economic Benefits: cost ratio delivered by the capital investment programme.
- OM2 – Number of households moved out of any flood probability category into a lower one
- OM2b – Number of households moved from the very significant or significant flood probability category to the moderate or low category (i.e. across the 1 in 75 standard of protection)
- OM3 – Number of households in deprived communities moved from the very significant or significant probability category to the moderate or low category
- OM4 – Deliver Agreed Programme of Actions to Improve the Condition of SSSIs (FRM Contribution).
- OM5 – Contribution to UK Biodiversity Action Plan habitats
The overall total for Morpeth FAS was quite high at over 5, it was probably “in the top 10%” (anonymous qoute). We were fairly confident of it succeeding.
How Morpeth scored:
- PV Cost £20.2m, this includes whole life cost which is why it is higher than the £17m quoted in the press.
- PV Benefit £172m
- OM1 Economic Benefits/Cost ratio 8.5
- OM2 over 800 households
- OM2b nearly 500 households
- OM3 not applicable
- OM4 - not known
- OM5 Area of improved Biodiversity created 30Ha
Unfortunately, due to Government cutbacks and a slashing of the Defra capital expenditure budget all projects with an OM of less than 13.5 were deferred
There is a new funding system now under consideration that is expected to come into effect April 2012.
The proposed system uses different parameters to establish how much grant each alleviation scheme receives from the Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA). Previously if a scheme was approved then it received full funding, in the new system each scheme will only receive a proportion of the total costs. The shortfall will have to be made up from other sources.
Northumberland County Council has guaranteed the shortfall, the regional EA has had an indicative budget that includes the FDGiA for Morpeth. We are just waiting for Board approval sometime early in 2012 and the scheme should go ahead.
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