The Environment Agency has set its plans out to build a flood defence scheme for Newhaven costing around £9 million.

The Agency, in partnership with Lewes District Council, is developing a scheme to reduce flood risk from the sea and the river along the Ouse valley. The scheme will reduce the risk of flooding to 437 homes and 392 businesses in and around the East Sussex town of Newhaven.

In December 2013 the south coast of England was hit by a storm surge coming down from the North Sea. The storm saw hurricane-force winds and the highest tide in some places for almost 60 years. The tidal surge in the Newhaven area affected between 50 and 100 properties in the Railway Road area, as well as closing the railway line between Lewes and Seaford.

Some areas of Newhaven currently have a 1-in-10 chance of flooding in any given year. The Newhaven flood alleviation scheme will be designed to provide at least a 1-in-100-year standard of protection, taking into account the effects of climate change. This will mean that in any one year, there will be a 1% chance that Newhaven will experience flooding from the sea or River Ouse.

The scheme will also protect local infrastructure such as the road network, railway tracks and train station. It will also support the wider regeneration of Newhaven, helping to bring new investment, jobs and homes to the area.

The scheme covers both banks of Newhaven, including the commercial areas near the port. Construction of the scheme is planned to start in early 2016 and is scheduled to be complete by 2019. However, the Environment Agency is already working to ensure that riverside developments in the town take account of the need for improved defences and build them into designs.

Funding

The scheme is estimated to cost around £9 million, with the majority of funding coming from the Environment Agency in the form of central government Flood & Coastal Risk Management Grant in Aid.

The Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and South East Local Enterprise Partnership are each contributing £1.5 million, as part of their wider commitment to regeneration in Newhaven. The contributions are essential to enable the project to proceed. Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) were established across the UK by government as partnerships between local authorities and businesses that decide what the priorities should be for investment in roads, buildings and facilities in the area.

The Environment Agency always seeks funding contributions and co-operation from companies and organisations that will benefit most from the work. At Newhaven we are working with Network Rail, landowners and others to help with building and securing additional funds for the scheme.

Over the last 6 months the Environment Agency has been gathering information to help develop options for the scheme. They are carrying out surveys to measure the height and layout of the land, recording existing habitats and opportunities to enhance the local environment, and investigating the condition of the existing defences and the ground along the river banks.

Using this information, CapitaURS are working with the Environment Agency to develop some draft design options for the flood defences.

Over the coming months, the Environment Agency will be talking to people who are directly affected by the proposed works with two public exhibitions planned for February 2015.

After the initial period of consultation, feedback will be used in selecting the preferred design. The Environment Agency will then seek planning permission and the other necessary approvals.