A major flood defence scheme that will significantly reduce flood risk to over 2,300 properties in Shoreham and East Lancing has taken a step towards completion this week, with piling works at 2 of the project’s 10 phases now finished.
The current flood defences in the Adur estuary do not provide a high enough level of protection, and in places are in poor condition. This leaves Shoreham-by-Sea, Lancing and the surrounding areas at risk of flooding.
The Environment Agency has been developing a major improvements scheme called the Shoreham Adur tidal walls (SATW). The scheme will provide protection for extreme events with 0.33% probability (1 in 300 year) of occurring in 1 year, allowing for 50 years of sea level rise.
The scheme is separated into 10 reaches, or lengths of the estuarine bank. The design of the defences varies between the reaches as they have different characteristics and are subject to different pressures and potential flood impacts.
The huge jack-up barge, that has been working to install one of the new tidal flood defence piled walls in the town centre since November, will leave the site next week having completed its phase of the work.
Of the planned 10 construction phases, 3 have been worked on since the project started in October 2016, and work so far has been progressing well. The scheme will significantly improve the current ageing flood defences, and when the whole project is complete, in 2018, it will reduce the tidal flood risk to thousands of homes and a significant number of commercial properties in the area. It will also protect important local infrastructure such as the road network, railway line and Shoreham Airport.
Russell Long, Flood Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said:
“Work on the scheme is progressing well, and further phases of work are set to begin later in the year. We are aware of the impact that the development of these schemes can have on local communities, and we thank the residents of Shoreham for their understanding during the works.”
The SATW is a project led by the Environment Agency working in partnership with West Sussex County Council (WSCC), Adur District Council (ADC) and the Coast 2 Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The work is funded from a number of sources, the bulk coming from central government flood risk management money. West Sussex County Council, Coast to Capital LEP and some private developers are also providing contributions through Adur District Council.
The existing flood defences are owned by the owner of the land on which they are located, known as 'Riparian Owners'. Ownership of the improved defences will also be with the owners of the land upon which they are built.
In the event of an unexpected risk of flooding caused by the defences, if the only property at risk of flooding is the riparian owner, then it is unlikely that the Environment Agency would intervene and carry out any improvement works.
The Shoreham Adur Tidal Walls project has a very strong business case in terms of the cost of the defences and the number of properties protected. It is therefore likely that should a serious problem occur to the defences the Agency would be able to justify spending public money to repair them.
However, the Environment Agency said that as it is subject to government policies and funding, this means it cannot guarantee it will be able to maintain the flood defences in perpetuity.
Waterbriefing is media partner with the Environment Agency’s major three-day conference and exhibition Flood and Coast 2017 which takes place from 28th to 30th March 2017 in Telford. Click here for more information
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