The Environment Agency has started work on its £21.5 million scheme to increase the capacity of the Leigh flood storage area and to build a flood embankment and pumping station in Hildenborough.
Sally Harvey, Environment Agency area director for Kent, South London and East Sussex, said:
“We are now pressing ahead with construction work, which will improve flood protection to more than 1,400 homes in Tonbridge and Hildenborough.”
When operating, the Leigh FSA currently holds more than 5.5 million cubic metres of water. Once enlarged, it will be able to hold approximately 7 million cubic metres of water - the equivalent to a total of 2,800 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Work will include installing three new gates at the Leigh FSA control structure. The gates will be specially-made, assembled and tested, ready for the work to begin in Spring 2024.
This year, the Environment Agency will raise a section of the flood embankment near Leigh village, with hardstanding constructed for temporary pumps. Work will also start on a new retaining wall at the Leigh Pumping Station to reinforce the existing embankment. The embankment raising work is expected to be complete in Autumn 2023 and at the pumping station by early 2025.
At Hildenborough, pre-construction surveys are ongoing, with construction due to start on the embankment scheme in Spring 2024.
The Environment Agency is working to deliver the scheme in partnership with:
Kent County Council
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
South East Local Enterprise Partnership
Funding is through the Government’s Flood Defence Grant in Aid, with contributions from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, Kent County Council and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.
It is expected that the full scheme will be completed by Autumn 2025.
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