The Environment Agency (EA) is progressing work on the £4 million Arundel tidal flood defence scheme - the scheme has now been accelerated to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion to properties in Arundel as quickly as possible.
The EA is making plans to prioritise improvement work (where this is affordable) to the most vulnerable sections of river frontage which require an intervention in the short term, and to understand the timing and location of work needed for future years.
The Agency has reviewed the recommendations from the Lower Tidal River Arun Strategy approved in 2014 for Arundel, West Sussex. Following the review, the EA has developed a Phase 1 scheme that will look to improve flood defences in areas of Arundel at highest risk.
Contractors started engineering surveys of the river defences in Arundel on 15 October 2018, including drone surveys from the air, visual inspections on foot and ‘scraping’ of sheet steel piles on the River Road side by boat (to measure their thickness).
On 19 November 2018 the contractors started to dig small boreholes in 8 locations along the river banks in Arundel to analyse material below ground and gain a better understanding of the stability of the engineered river defences over the long-term.
Improvement work on the fast-flowing River Arun provides a significant engineering challenge. The engineering surveys will help the Agency to understand the condition of the defences and assist them in preparing a preferred design option for the scheme. This will include where exactly in Arundel improvement works will take place, as part of the phase 1 scheme. The results will also help them understand where and when works may be needed along the river banks in Arundel in future years.
The Agency is also reviewing and updating its emergency plan to protect properties in Arundel against the increased risk of flooding presented by a section of damaged wall.
The EA is working in partnership with West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council and Arundel Town Council to develop the scheme to look at improving flood defences at highest risk in Arundel, West Sussex.
The scheme is expected to better protect up to 130 properties from flooding and a further 30 from erosion on both river banks in Arundel.
Current best estimate of the cost of the scheme is £4 million, funded by a combination of government grant and contributions raised locally (with the support of local councils).
The whole phase 1 scheme is estimated to be completed by autumn 2020.
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