03/05/2005 - 1984 is memorable
for many reasons – the first Terminator movie,
Tessa Sanderson’s Olympic gold medal, and
Dungeons and Dragons. However 1984 also marks
the opening of the Thames Barrier, and next
Monday (9 May 2005) the Environment Agency
will celebrate twenty-one years of protecting
London from major flooding - saving thousands
of lives and millions of pounds.
The Thames Barrier and associated defences,
including the Barking and King George V Barriers,
provide London with a world class level of
protection from flooding. Since it was officially
opened by Her Majesty The Queen, the Thames
Barrier, the largest movable flood barrier
in the world, has been used to protect London
from tidal surges a total of 91 times – placing
a wall of steel between the sea and our Nation’s
capital.
However, the story of the Thames Barrier
is not just confined to its use during flood
events.
The Royal Yacht, HMS Ark Royal and the competitors
in the last of the Tall Ships race to visit
London have also sailed through its distinctive
piers.
The Environment Agency take all possible
precautions to ensure any vessels passing
through the barrier have an easy ride, working
closely with the Port of London Authority
who are responsible for navigation on the
Thames Estuary.
Despite these precautions since the Barrier
opened in 1984 a number of vessels have collided
with it, including the Sand Kite in 1997 –
which sank as a result of the impact. This
was caused by a navigational error on a foggy
October morning - resulting in the ship crashing
into one of the Barrier piers and discharging
its cargo of sand and gravel into the river.
Fortunately no one was injured, although the
Sand Kite suffered serious damage. The Thames
Barrier on the other hand was relatively unscathed
and was back in full working order soon after
the ship was removed five days later.
The Thames Barrier has also proved a popular
filming location over the years, with popular
programmes such as The Saint (1989), London’s
Burning (1992) and most recently Spooks (2005),
not to mention Noel Edmond’s Christmas TV
show (1984), all wanting to use the impressive
structure as a backdrop.
Thames tidal manager, Andy Batchelor said:
“The Thames Barrier has done us proud over
the past 21 years. It has proved to be an
incredibly versatile tool in protecting 1.25
million Londoners from flooding, and has become
a significant landmark for the city as well.”
He continued: “The Barrier is only at the
start of its life – we expect to use the Barrier
more and more frequently as climate change
progresses, and are already looking at the
continued protection of London over the next
100 years through our project, Thames Estuary
2100.”
