Bonus episode: Reflections on Flood and Coast

In this special bonus episode of The Climate Resilience Podcast,  host Phil Emonson sits down with Marc Pinnell, JBA’s Managing Director, to reflect on the standout moments and key insights from this year’s Flood and Coast conference. Together, they explore how events like Flood & Coast can catalyse real change, highlighting the critical role of cross-sector collaboration in achieving the UK’s growth and resilience goals. From rethinking how we value and fund resilience to unlock the full potential of FCRM to delivering sustainable solutions with strong policy support, this episode dives into what it takes to build future-ready communities across the country.

Thank you for listening to this episode. 

For any comments, questions or insights please contact phil.emonson@jbaconsulting.com.

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:04

Hello and welcome to the Climate Resilience Podcast brought to you by JBA Consulting. I'm Phil Emonson, and this is a bonus episode as we reflect on the annual Flood and Coast Conference that's been held this week. And so the curtain has come down on Flood and Coast Conference for 2025, which was held this week in Telford, and what a few days it's been. There's so much to talk about and reflect on. And to help me go through it all, it's JBA's managing director, Mark Panel. Mark, welcome to the podcast. And maybe you'd like to start by introducing yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Hey morning, Phil, how are you doing? My name is Mark, as you said, and I'm managing director of uh JBA Consulting here in the UK. Apologies for the croakiness of the voice, Phil, after um three good days at Flood and Coast Conference.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

I I am exactly the same, Mark. So yeah, if people can hear that croakiness, that's just because there's been so much talking uh that we've been doing over the last three days. And and as you say, there was there was so much going on over those three days, but I'm really keen to explore what your highlights were and what you took away this year.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Oh, that there's a there's a few highlights, Phil, as you can anticipate, uh not least the opportunity to reconnect with um many other people. I was speaking to somebody and they indicated or suggested it was a little bit like a school reunion to be uh to be honest. But um the the theme of flood and coast this year was about uh connecting our sector, wasn't it, with um with other sectors to deliver on government's growth ambitions and that that does require us to uh come together um and collaborate. Um there's still much to do, in my view, uh to increase the participation outside of flood risk management professionals, but the level of attendance by local authorities, for example, this year really stood out to me. Um it's a significant increase on previous years, and I I think um SIWEM and the conference organizers should be congratulated on achieving that. Umsurprisingly, the um Flood and Coast Awards, uh which was celebrated on the second evening of the conference was also a highlight. Uh we, JBA, had representation across many, most of the award categories actually, um, and came away with several of those awards, which was um which was pleasing. But most pleasing again was the number of local authority-led projects that gained recognition. Um, I think the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Program Um facilitated that and it was it was featured heavily. So there's a there's a couple of uh initial highlights filled, but um perhaps the real highlight for the conference of the conference for me was the launch of IPRA, uh, the new trade body for property flood resilience. Um I do think that that trade body and its creation is a really significant step forward for for PFR. Um it will help represent uh a growing industry, and of course, growth was also a theme for the conference. Um IFRA is gonna help uh contractors, uh surveyors, um, and other specialist installers um by being a central voice for um for property flood resilience. Um it can help promote best practice um and no doubt it will accelerate uh PFR. So yeah, I think those are the highlights. Um I mean it for it for Phil also was recognised by Emma Hardy, uh MP and Flood Minister in her um her speech.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Um so yeah, and as you know, I I I've been involved in PFR for the last sort of I don't know, fift 15 years really, and it's been a long and hard journey to get to this point. But real congratulations to those involved in setting up IPFRA. And in fact, we had Shelley Evans from JBA on the podcast um in advance of flooding coasts, and she was talking about um the steps that have that have been that have been involved in the last few years to get IPRA set up, and it is as you say, Mark, a really important milestone in the mainstreaming and continued um professionalization of PFR. So, yeah, delighted to see that um that launch and as you say the recognition from Emma as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Um it was really pleasing actually, Phil, to um to uh to be able to join the launch event, um uh which was supported by Flood Ray. Um I also managed to participate in the PFR round table uh the following day. So lots of good things happening. Um you know, we're very pleased to be one of the founding members of of IPRA. Um and I would note that it was at Flood and Coast last year that the idea of a uh a trade association came into being. Um discussions between uh Steve and Gareth of JBA and Watertight, I believe. So I I guess that really illustrates the power of bringing people together, uh a conference like Flood and Coast. In in indeed, indeed it does, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Um, Mark, ahead of the conference, you you penned uh an article for the JBA website looking at um resilience and and funding and investment. So I I'm quite interested to sort of unpick that that blog piece a little bit, which people will be able to find over on the website. What is it in terms of investment and funding that you would like to see happen now? And and how must um government approaches to investment evolve so that we can invest in the right things at the right places and at the right times?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Okay, yeah. Um so in my piece, uh I called for an overhaul of uh flood funding, um, the intention of which would be to deliver increased and broader resilience uh to the impacts of climate change. And and to do that, in my view, uh a funding model is needed that really values long-term adaptation uh and one that reflects the real breadth of uh benefits that flood and coast coastal uh risk management can can deliver. I don't think the current funding models do that. Um funding models need to better integrate um enhancement and economic regeneration as well alongside the primary purpose of uh flood protection. Um so there needs to be some change, and that was the purpose of the piece to call for an overhaul. Uh I think that change uh at the at its highest level is threefold. Um, you know, firstly, treasury rules and GIA granting aid criteria uh need to be updated so they can support multi-beneficial schemes, truly support multi-beneficial schemes. Um the overhaul needs also to have clear cross-government metrics so that we can better measure and demonstrate return on investment. Um and finally, I think um the overhaul needs major infrastructure programs, um, whether that's flood and coastal risk management or network rail or highways infrastructure programs, to be much more strategically aligned so that you can unlock the opportunities to deliver multiple benefits. Um so there are perhaps you know three very high-level changes that uh that I think need to have need to happen. Um and the piece I wrote also shared, I think, a frustration that's held widely across floodwrit management for professionals that previous reviews of partnership funding have not really led to uh any meaningful change, Phil. Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

And quite timely actually, Mark, that we're having this conversation because whilst we were all gathered uh and assembled in Telford, there was a consultation uh published by DEFRA on reforming our approach to flood funding, which I will admit I've not had time this week to dive into, but it is certainly on my list of things to do today. So it's quite timely, I think, that we're having this conversation around um the transformation of how we invest in in resilience and FCRM projects and programs moving forward. So I'm I'm really keen to explore um what that consultation looks like.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Um so um I'm yet to read the details too, um to Phil, but I have had an initial look, and and I will say I'm cautiously optimistic. There's um uh there's some resonance maybe with the things that I've I've just discussed um and with some other of the elements in um in my original piece. Um so for example, there is a uh a strategic 10-year pipeline of FCRM projects proposed, um, and and even a multi multi-decade, I think it refers to a multi-decade target for flood risk management. So there's there's some potential there to allow better uh alignment across infrastructure projects, programs rather. Um there's some reference to performance metrics and also um a proposal for a contribution-free allowance to fully fund the first three million pounds of uh project costs, you know, and that has the potential, I think, to um to accelerate delivery. But there are there are some questions. Um, maybe once we get into the detail of it, there'll be some questions to ask, particularly around affordability and prioritation of projects. I I hope that the proposals don't return us to or have recognised the potential to return us to historic funding models, where projects uh you know only achieving the highest benefit-cost ratios really see the light of day. Um, and I hope that the uh the approaches don't see that um partnership funding or gaining investment outside of the public sector as a principle uh not to be the way to continue. I do think it's important that um all of us in delivering in seeking to deliver increased resilience contribute to flood risk management. That's public purse and private purse as well. So we'll we'll see what the detail says and it will be the detail that matters really.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Definitely, definitely, yeah. Now, Mark, I'm I'd like to just return to a topic that you briefly touched on actually in your your opening. So, connecting our sector and engaging with neighbouring sectors to deliver government growth ambitions through collaboration, sustainable solutions, and strong policy support. So that statement was the overarching theme of this year's um Flood and Coast Conference. And as I say, you've you've sort of alluded to um how we interface and intersect then with other sectors. Mark, are we engaging with other sectors enough? And and what more should we do, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_00 10:36

I think regrettably, uh Phil, the the short answer is no. Um we're we're not engaging with other sectors um sufficiently or successfully. I did speak to um to Hannah Burgess, SIWEM president, very briefly about this um over the course of the last three days. Um I mean, firstly, uh as I've said before, conference organisers should really be congratulated on it achieving much greater participation from local authority, um, flood risk management um authorities, uh, and the presence of uh Flood RE and a handful of insurance organizations um was also notable. So good steps forward, but um I I do question why Flood and Coast Conference doesn't have greater representation from, for example, other flood uh other risk management authorities, uh water companies being notable by uh their absence en masse, um and indeed from from other infrastructure providers, uh rail and road. Um, and you know, dear to my heart, it'd be great to see some more placemakers there, uh, whether from local government, those involved in strategic planning, or or others uh developing and even delivering uh the growth that the government is seeking. Um so still lots for us to do, but you know, I'd like to really underline that I think this conference this year um did see a notable step change in the breadth of attendees. So that that's that's really good.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, absolutely. And in fact, Mark, um later on in June at JBA, we're convening our second um resilience roundtable event in in London where we will seek to bring together um representation from both within our sector but also those neighbouring sectors as we seek to improve the the overlap and the conversation that we started last year, actually, at a previous round table. But at that event, we will we will have representation from um funding and finance, from academics, from hopefully um business, trade, planning, um sort of those involved in in um development and um and build house building as well. So you're you're right. Um I think there is definitely more we can all do collectively on on um improving the intersect with other sectors. Um so Mark.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

I think there's a few things, Phil. Um I think there's perhaps a few things that um uh flunco next year um um and even more widely we we in the sector can think about. Um this year's agenda supported um with its focus on local and community resilience um the attendance of uh local risk management authorities. So you know I think that's that's the first thing. Um the agenda needs to be relevant to those other organizations. Um I think we also need to celebrate success. This year's conference did that, a plum again through the awards, um did shine a light on the great work that risk management authorities are doing. Um and you know, their ability to participate and have success recognized, uh I'm sure would be a reason that they were that they were attending in much greater numbers this year. Uh but but on reflection, I think it's a bit deeper than than than this. Um local attend local authority attendance and the success, their success at the wards, I would argue has been rooted in the the success of the the F CRIP, the innovation program. Um that program itself provided meaningful funding and purpose and it's really empowered local risk management authorities uh to deliver and they've done that. Um, they've proven that they can do that. Um, and you know that was that was reflected in the energy at the conference as well. So perhaps the the answer to engaging with other sectors is to have clear single purpose alignment, um, you know, and I don't think we're there at a policy level yet, um, let across let alone across individual programs of work. Uh so a few things to reflect on there, Phil.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Yeah, absolutely. And um it'll be really interesting to see how some of these um opportunities and challenges are addressed at next year's event, which is in Liverpool, isn't it? So yeah. Mark, final question then, I suppose, for you as as we as we sort of wrap up. Um how can events like Food and Coast continue to um drive meaningful progress and collaboration, which is what you've you've spoken about throughout, really.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Um well, I think the collaboration is um is there uh and done. I think continuing to bring um a range of people across flood risk management, uh uh new people and those of us that have worked in the sector for many years together annually is very important. Um to bring them together with um other industries um uh is uh is critical. Um but also uh you know reflecting on what I was saying previously, uh supporting in policy development. You know, there there was a theme around strong policy support this year. Um we need to have better uh purposefully single singly aligned um policy uh in order for us to deliver on resilience, uh resilience to climate change. Um so conference focus has to be on that, not only supporting government policy, but perhaps advocating uh policy as well. Um it can help by identifying the programs of work that will be then necessary to deliver on that um policy. Uh, and I do think it's critical that it retains a focus in the future on technical excellence and you know the methods uh and the guidance and the standards that will be necessary to deliver the work that's going to be important if we are to achieve greater resilience. So uh, yes, bring people together, but you know, hopefully these conference this conference, Flood and Coast, can continue to be a strong advocate for uh for climate resilience.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Super, super. Mark, thank you, and thanks for taking the time to come on the podcast this morning and reflect um on conference this week. Um we're we're hot off the press, so it's really um it's really uh appreciated that you've taken time out. And so we have um reached the end of our time today. Um, as always, if you've enjoyed listening, then please hit the subscribe button so that you're ready for the next episode. Uh till then, thanks for joining us. I'm Phil Emerson, and you've been listening to the Climate Resilience podcast brought to you by JBA Consulting.