The Environment Agency and local councils working together on the proposed £302 million River Thames Scheme to reduce flood risk to 15,000 properties have arranged a series of events for local communities to find out more about the scheme and share ideas on what it could look like.

Between 25 August and 15 September 2015 they are running a series of ‘drop-in’ sessions at various locations between Datchet and Teddington.  Information about the scheme will be on display and experts will also be on hand to answer questions.

The Agency and the councils will be sharing information on how work has progressed since the Lower Thames Strategy was published in 2010. Visitors can also find out about the next steps and likely timescales. The organisations want to hear people’s views on what the new flood relief channel could look like.

David Murphy, Project Director for the Environment Agency said:

“We really want to get local residents and businesses involved in the scheme, to hear their views on the proposals and explore what other benefits it could bring to the local area in addition to reducing flood risk to over 15,000 homes and businesses. This scheme will reduce flood risk right across the area and we need the support of the communities to make it happen.”

The Environment Agency and local councils have been working with community groups in the area for many years to improve resilience to flooding. The River Thames Scheme will reduce flood risk to 15,000 properties currently at risk between Datchet and Teddington. It will include construction of a flood channel, property level products to make homes more resistant to flooding, major and local flood plans, together with providing other benefits to the area.

The flood channel will be between 30 and 60 metres wide and 17 kilometres long, built in 3 sections.

The Environment Agency is working with 7 local council partners to deliver the programme.

Scheme to be delivered in 2 phases

Subject to funding, the scheme will be carried out in 2 phases. Phase 1 includes:

• developing a funding strategy for the scheme
• a hydrology and modelling study
• ecological surveys of the River Thames and specific sites
• installation of property level products in some homes
• major incident planning to improve preparedness and response to flooding
• increasing the flow capacity of Sunbury, Molesey and Teddington weirs
• obtaining planning consents for the enabling works on the weirs
• securing government assurance and approvals
• detailed design of the scheme
• securing full, detailed planning permission and other consents for the work
• building all 3 sections of the flood channel and associated structures, and increasing the capacity of Desborough Cut

Phase 2 includes:

Work continues on funding strategy

The scheme has an estimated cost for construction of £302 million and a partnership funding score of 53%, meaning that it is eligible for £160 million of government flood defence Grant in Aid, subject to the remaining funding being met by external contributions.

The Environment Agency and local council partners are working on a Funding Strategy for the scheme to identify how the scheme could be funded. The Agency said it is making progress with securing further contributions required.

Thames Regional Flood Coastal Committee’s local levy, local councils, Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Enterprise M3 LEP have all pledged to contribute to the scheme. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further £60 million contribution to the scheme in the autumn statement, in addition to the £160 million Flood Defence Grant in Aid.

Click here for more information on the upcoming Flood Defence and Prevention Expo and conference in London in October - the UK's biggest dedicated event for the flood defence sector.