05/09/2005 - People living
or working in the floodplain of the River
Roding can find out about their level of flood
risk and the long-term options to manage it,
at an open evening next week.
On September 14 the Environment Agency is
holding an open evening in Woodford Green
giving people an opportunity to view large
maps showing the extent of the floodplain
and look at the different options currently
being investigated to manage the risk of flooding
from the river. Residents will be able to
speak to Environment Agency staff and give
their feedback.
The source of the River Roding is near Stanstead
Airport. It flows down to Barking where it
meets the River Thames. In the last few years
the Environment Agency has been working on
the River Roding Flood Risk Management Strategy,
studying the entire length of the river to
find ways in which the flood risk can be managed.
By looking at the river from start to finish,
rather than individual sections, the Environment
Agency can provide the most appropriate flood
risk management options.
From the modelling the Environment Agency
has found that there are 2,829 properties
within the River Roding catchment which have
a one per cent or more chance of flooding
(ie at risk of a flood event, of a size that
would occur on average once every 100 years.)
Lucy Lewis, project manager said: “We now
have a better understanding of how the River
Roding behaves and responds during a flood.
We have been studying the causes of flooding
in the catchment and the impact different
amounts of rainfall and surface water, together
with channel capacity, has on an area. Our
work has shortlisted possible viable options
and a feasibility of each of these options
now needs to be undertaken.
“Some of the potential options for managing
flood risk include: building new embankments
in Chipping Ongar and Woodford, raising the
existing defences in Roding Lane, Redbridge
and on the west bank in Illford or creating
flood storage areas upstream of Shonks Mill
Bridge and Luxborough.
“The technical, economic and environmental
aspects of each of these options now needs
to be assessed. The final scheme may be a
combination of different options.
“We want to present our work at the meeting
and discuss it with the public in detail."
The open evening will take place between
6:30pm and 9:30pm at Broadmead Baptist Church
Hall, Chigwell Road, Woodford Green, Essex.
IG8 8PE.
