News


Crop centre’s new director


AYEAR after itwas saved from po- tential administration in a takeover by another leading crop research institute , East Malling Research is to have a new boss.


Professor Mario Caccamo (left) has been appointed managing director of NIAB EMR, whichwas formed when the East Malling centre be- came part of the National Institute


of Agricultural Botany, based at Cambridge. He will take over in April from David Neill who will re- turn to his former position at head office as NIAB’s chief operating of- ficer. Professor Caccamo, who trained as a computer scientist, joined NIAB in July 2015 as head of crop bioinformatics and will con- tinue in this role in addition to his new position at NIAB EMR. He said: “The research opportu-


nities in the horticulture sector, both nationally and internationally, have never been greater. NIAB EMR’s world class scientists are al- ready leading in their application of novel solutions for horticulture and I amvery excited about the op- portunity to lead this team to even greater achievements.”


downsmail.co.uk


£4.6m grant puts flood measures on agenda


FLOOD-hit residents in the region have heard that the government will give just over £4.6m towards defence improvements on theRiver Medway. The money will come from Local Growth Funding for the Medway Flood Storage Area Project. Tonbridge and Malling council


has been working with the Environ- ment Agency and Kent County Council to deliver the £24.6m scheme, which will include im- provements to the Leigh Flood Stor- age Area and a flood protection bund at Hildenborough. A scheme to build walls and embankments at EastPeckham – to protect 568 homes and businesses – is also included. It follows the devastating floods


that left the area, and villages in- cluding Yalding, under water over Christmas in 2013. Tonbridge and Malling Council


leader Nicolas Heslop said he was delighted with the news, adding: “This will give us and local people more certainty on the future of flood defences. Knowing that we will be able to deliver much-needed meas-


Floods in East Peckham and above, Nick Heslop


ures to increase the capacity of the Leigh Flood Storage Area and in turn reduce flood risk will see sig- nificant growth to business and property within communities along the River Medway.” More than 2,500 homes and busi-


nesses are thought to be at risk of flooding from the Rivers Medway, Beult and Teise. Communities in these areas were affected in 1960, 1963, 1968. 1974,1979, 2000/01 and winter 2013/14. The business case for the project


will be considered by the Depart- ment of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2018. Once this has


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been approved, the design phase can begin. It is hoped that construction will be completed by 2022. The £17.1m funding for the Med-


way Flood Storage Area Project – to protect 1,475 homes and businesses – will be shared by government, the Environment Agency/DEFRA, with help from organisations including KCC (£2.5m) and TMBC (£0.5m). Julie Foley, of the Environment Agency, said: “Now that all the funding has been secured we are able tomove forward and look at the specifics of how we will improve flood protection to Tonbridge, Hildenborough and East Peckham.”


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