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The Jubilee River story - The 1992 Public Inquiry - Report

Sub-standard hydraulic models?

The Public Inquiry into the MWEFAS planning application was held in Reading - October/December 1992 and reported in 1993

Here is the expert view of the Assessor: P Ackers - M Sc(Eng) FCGI FICE MIWEM MASCE - on the hydraulic models used to justify the scheme.

A scan of the original section of the report is produced below.  For a digital copy of the full Public Inquiry report, please contact me.

Extract from 1992 Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme Public Inquiry - Report to Minister.

15.  Further aspects of hydraulic performance

15.1. It would be very embarrassing to all concerned if the intended discharge capacity of the FRC (1) was not achieved.  Thus the hydraulic computations are particularly important, and in this context the sensitivity of the channel to the roughness coefficients used and the method of dealing with two-stage channels implicit in the modelling are dominant issues.

This is the largest fluvial flood alleviation scheme ever to be carried out in the Thames region, and any deficiency in capacity would bring wide-spread – and justified – criticism.  It would be the largest man-made river to be created in the UK with full regard to the latest policies regarding environmental enhancements.

The question of the flow capacity likely to be obtained is not an issue that can be clouded over in the hope that design tolerances could later explain away any deficiency.  It is my firm view that there is no room for retaining optimistic assumptions in the hydraulic design:  in view of the novelty and scale of environmental enhancements proposed, some conservatism, some consideration of tolerances on assumptions is necessary.

Assessor: P Ackers - M Sc(Eng) FCGI FICE MIWEM MASCE

(1) [Flood Relief Channel now called the Jubilee River]  Jubilee River - MAP (EA) 163Kb.pdf   

Scan of original document below: