A LEADING Environment Agency (EA) figure has said the next year is 'the most critical' in terms of producing a flood defence plan for Kendal.

Andy Brown, Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for Cumbria and Lancashire, addressed a meeting of Kendal Town Council where he outlined work that had been done so far in the aftermath of Storm Desmond and looked ahead to what was still planned.

"Development is the phase that we're in now," Mr Brown said. "This is possibly the most critical 12 months because this is where we start the real hard edged negotiations and discussions with partners and landowners to secure agreement to do works on their land, to secure planning permission and to secure environmental permits before we move into final design and build."

He said that what the EA wanted to deliver should 'enhance' the connection of the community and town with the River Kent that flows through it.

"Please be assured we are not coming in with a desire or a wish to create structures that disconnect everybody from the river," he said.

Mr Brown said that upstream storage and raised defences would be used in combination to protect the town.

Kentmere Tarn, Kentrigg and Mealbank were all suggested as possible locations for upstream storage but Mr Brown was clear that these were not definite.

"The amount of water that we need to store in here is something like the equivalent of 4,000 Kendal swimming pools," he said. "It's a huge amount of water. The more that we can do means the lower that we have to build the walls in the town. So the two are critical interdependent parts of the equation."

He said that the potential length of the raised defences was around 10 to 12 kilometres.

"Put that in one long line and it takes you from here in the town centre to the shore of Windermere," he said. "That's how big a construction job it is."

He said the EA and authorities would ensure it planned to manage any disruption that work brought with it.

The EA will next start ground investigations at 40 individual sites, hold discussions with landowners and organise public engagement events to present preferred options.

Mr Brown said the EA was also keen to set up a physical presence within a unit in town so members of the public could engage with the process.