The Environment Agency’s recommendations include spending some £300m of
public money building three flood diversion channels, improving
some existing river weir structures, providing some
localised protection for groups of houses and a
range of other ways of managing the floodplain.
The Environment Agency published the Lower Thames
Strategy Consultation (September 2009). Unfortunately the Jubilee River
further upstream (the main element of the £110m MWEFAS project
that opened in 2002) is still unable to carry
its design capacity (215 cumecs). Design and construction failures
resulted in £5m repair costs and a £2.5m out-of-court settlement. The Myrke Embankment in Datchet is
rapidly degrading yet again despite a £1.3m rebuild in 2004, and local watercourses are in
desperate need of maintenance. For over ten years the River Thames has not
been dredged for flood defence purposes. I have no confidence that the
Environment Agency will maintain the water courses that they are responsible
for........
My view is that in order to properly understand the
Environment Agency LTFRMS proposal it is preferable to be aware of the history
and consequences of the MWEFAS project (renamed Jubilee River in 2002).
Land and property near
the River Thames has suffered from serious
flooding for many years. In January 2003,
heavy rain brought flooding to many areas of
the River Thames downstream of Datchet. We
listened to public concern that more should
be done to address the issue of flooding and
have come up with a plan to reduce flood
risk in your area.
We have produced a draft
Flood Risk Management (FRM) strategy for the
Lower Thames from Datchet to Teddington. It
sets out our preferred option for managing
the risk of flooding in the area in the
future. We would like to suggest a combined
approach to reduce the risk of flooding.
This document presents the studies we have
carried out, the options we have considered
and explains how we have arrived at our
preferred option.
We are working with and
involving people and communities that have
experienced flooding or are at risk of
flooding in this area. We would like to
share the findings of our studies with you,
so that you can tell us what you think. We
welcome your views and comments, and we will
take them into account in our final strategy
for Government approval in 2010.
The Environment
Agency has extended the deadline for responses to
its Lower Thames Strategy consultation for a further
two weeks, until 18 December.
The Agency said that the extension was as a
result of much interest from local residents and
community groups.
To date more than 2,000 people have attended the
public exhibitions held across the Lower Thames area
since October to find out what the flood plans,
which aim to reduce the risk of flooding to more
than 15,000 homes and businesses along the Lower
Thames,mean to them and to make comments that will
help finalise the strategy. Residents, local groups
and business owners are still being urged to
register their opinions on the website
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/lts.
Innes Jones, Area Manager for the Environment
Agency, said:
“We have had a fantastic response so far, and it
is great to see a large number of local people
taking an interest in their community and giving us
such valuable feedback. All responses from the
community are taken on board and will help to
finalise the strategy before we submit it to Defra.
“Each option in the consultation has been assessed
against a range of economic, environmental and
social factors to ensure the best solution for
everyone. I hope that those who have not managed to
comment will take this extra opportunity to visit
our website, email or put their views in writing and
tell us what they think. This strategy will play a
major role in addressing the concerns of the
thousands of people who live with the risk of
flooding.”
Currently 15,000 residential properties within
the Lower Thames floodplain from Datchet to
Teddington are at risk of flooding from the River
Thames in a 1% annual chance event.
The Lower Thames Flood Risk Management Strategy
will tackle the risk of flooding to these properties
within this area - one of the areas of highest flood
risk in England.
The Environment Agency’s recommendations include
building three flood diversion channels, improving
some existing river weir structures, providing some
localised protection for groups of houses and a
range of other ways of managing the floodplain.The
public consultation documents are available in
public libraries and local authority offices, or on
the Lower Thames Strategy webpage.The strategy is
available for consultation online at
www.environment-agency.gov.ul/lts until 18
December. Comments sent to
lts@environment-agency.gov.uk will also be taken
into consideration, together with written comments
sent to the project team at Swift House, Frimley
Business Park, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 7SQ.
The Environment Agency has published the Lower Thames
Strategy Consultation (September 2009)
This consultation closed 18 December 2009.
Unfortunately the Jubilee River (the main element of the £110m MWEFAS project
opened in 2002) is still unable to carry
its design capacity (215 cumecs). The Myrke Embankment in Datchet is
rapidly degrading yet again despite a £1.3m rebuild in 2004, and local watercourses are in
desperate need of maintenance. For over ten years the River Thames has not
been dredged for flood defence purposes.
