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The Jubilee River story - What's wrong with the Jubilee River? (and the Environment Agency)

'£110,000,000 of your money and no accountability.'

“We know the Jubilee River works, there is no question about it. Nonetheless, the Atkins reviews do raise important concerns that the Environment Agency is addressing with urgency.” (Chris Birks - EA Thames region director - August 2004)

In brief: 

The Environment Agency spent £110m of public money on this flood alleviation scheme between 1996 and 2003.

A flawed concept, sub-standard design and construction, and mis-operation led to hundreds of homes downstream of Windsor flooding for the first time in over fifty years, a £5m repair bill and a £2.75m out-of-court settlement with the designers.

In January 2003 (at only 2/3rds capacity) almost every structure and embankment sustained damage.

The Jubilee River is still unable to carry its design capacity, and the Myrke embankment is still incorrect and degrading, and nobody is accountable!

And in Sept 2009  the EA announced a £300m scheme to build three new channels > LTFRMS Consultation

• Seven years since Thames 2003 flood event, and still no honesty from the Environment Agency

• 'It would be very embarrassing to all concerned..........'(1992 MWEFAS Public Inquiry extract)

• Jubilee River - flawed design and sub-standard construction cost £110m (Jan 2007 - Closure report)

• Cost-reduction commenced as construction contracts were placed

• Jubilee River 'a monument to EA skills shortage'

• The algae problem

• EA CEO attempted to cover up the mistakes (Newspaper article)

• EA CEO attempted to cover up the mistakes (Detail and download instructions)

• EA Board Paper - November 2003
• 5/2/10 - Elliot Morley MP to face criminal charges

• 'Anger swells' (The Times - Aug 2004)

• The Jubilee River - nothing to celebrate here (Ciwem Conference - Sept 2004)

• Myrke embankment rebuilt in late 2004 - total cost £1.3m

• Transcript of 'You and Yours' Radio 4 programme - 12/5/2005

• RBWM Flood planning advice clarification (January 2005)

• CIWEM Presentation

• Peter Quarmby letter (Sept 2005)

• Environment Agency fined £7,500 for pollution (May 2006)

• Letter about algae from Robert Runcie - June 2006

• Environment Agency v Lewin Fryer & Partners [2006] EWHC 1597 (TCC) (06 July 2006)

• £2.75m out-of-court settlement for sub-standard design - September 2006 (click here)

• May never be able to carry design capacity (215 cumecs)

• Our money gone down the drain.  A fine example of responsibility without accountability!

• Channel fails to contain flood water even at relatively low volumes.

• Existing gauge boards submerged (unreadable) at low volumes.

• Environment Agency blame anything and anyone except themselves (click here for July 2007 letter)

• Cheltenham flood defences substandard - September 2007 (click here)

• Environment Agency liquidates national assets (click here)

• Water with nowhere to go causes flooding

• Probability of flooding now increasing due to neglect of watercourses and flood defences

• Environment Agency want flood plain to flood (click here to see Thames CFMP)

• Money spent on flood defence reduces probability of flooding.

• Another £1.4m in repair costs (April 2007)

• Jubilee River - Taplow Mill Leat - Technical Report prepared for RFDC (Apr 2007)(click here)

• Insurance by post-coding is unfair - the critical feature is actually floor height

• Insurance 'blacklisting' needs Government action NOW - Aug 2007 (click here)

• Yet another £10m ivory tower for the EA - June 2008 (click here)

• Changes at the Environment Agency - in culture, policy, structure and management?

• Independent department dedicated to flood defence needed NOW (Aug 2007)(click here)

• Myrke embankment degrading yet again

• Myrke bend radius problem

• Changes in the law needed NOW - flood defence must be a 'DUTY' not just a 'responsibility'!

• 'Flood defence' must have priority over 'flood risk management'

• All 'Main Rivers' and flood defences should be identified as 'CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE'

• Environment Agency should be accountable to taxpayers.

• The Thames is just a drain!

• Drains, watercourses and groundwater should be monitored locally (at Parish/Town Council level)

• Whatever happened to the EA's Thames Catchment Flood Management Plan?

• 13/5/09 - Elliot Morley (ex-Minister) claimed £16,000 for mortgage that did not exist (Telegraph)

• £20bn investment needed over next 25 years + top ten list

• 18/10/10 - Link to submission FFW 05 (to House of Commons EFRA Committee)

• 21/10/09 - River Prize and the Jubilee River swamp

• Read the Jubilee River story

Jubilee River - Key Facts