13/07/2005 - The Environment
Agency has finished major improvement work
to the Leigh Barrier in Kent. The flood barrier,
christened the ‘silent saviour’, has had all
equipment upgraded to ensure it is more efficient
than ever before.
The Leigh Barrier is a flood storage reservoir
that protects 1,100 residents and businesses
in and around Tonbridge in times of flood,
by impounding water that would otherwise flow
along the River Medway. It was originally
installed in 1981 and since then has been
instrumental in averting floods, facing its
toughest challenge in the floods of October
2000.
In 2002 the Environment Agency had the Leigh
Barrier surveyed to check the condition and
efficacy of mechanical equipment and the barrier’s
control system. This survey recommended a
significant upgrading of the Leigh Barrier
to bring it up to current design standards.
Work started in July 2004.
The Leigh Barrier Improvement Scheme included
replacing all mechanical and electrical parts
to bring them up to date and ensure that manual
operation of these systems was possible in
case of an emergency. Back-up systems were
also put in place in case of any equipment
failures. A new touch-screen system has been
installed that is linked to the Regional Telemetry
System (RTS) to show how high river levels
are. This ensures that the barriers are operated
automatically, but also allows the Environment
Agency to take control if the situation is
more serious.
When carrying out the work, the Environment
Agency has had to take into account the possibility
of future increases in the capacity of the
Leigh Reservoir. The improvements will enable
a set of larger discharge gates to be installed
should they be needed.
Clive Older, Environment Agency Flood Risk
Manager for Kent, said: "Since its construction,
the Leigh Barrier’s contribution to flood
defence has been enormous. Having been in
operation for nearly 25 years it was essential
that we upgraded the equipment now to ensure
this reliability and efficiency at preventing
floods continued for many more years to come.
"We are delighted to have finished the
work. The new arrangement gives us improved
reliability and flexibility and ensures that
the operating system is now up-to-date, more
robust and able to perform more efficiently
than ever before."
