THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LAND-DRAINAGE CONSENT SYSTEM

This paper presents the results of a study into the effectiveness of t he land-drainage consents system. The investigation studied eighteen m ain river reaches, each 2 km in length, in the north-east Thames regio n. All works within the main channel and the 8 m margin, subject to th e regulations in the Water Resources Act 1991, were recorded. The impa ct that each of these works might have had upon the environment, inclu ding the ability of the river to pass the peak flow and the potential for an increase in pollution, has been assessed and an overall impact rating for each reach has been determined. Each of the works identifie d on the reaches has been cross-referenced with consent records held b y the National Rivers Authority. Results that indicate that a high pro portion (92%) of works do not have consent under the present system.