The
Environment Agency has announced the flood
defence projects that are likely to benefit
from £20m of funding to be brought
forward 2010/11 to 2009/10
The Environment Agency
has today announced the flood defence projects
in England that are likely to benefit from
£20m of funding to be brought forward
from 2010/11 to 2009/10.
The move, set out by
the Government in last week’s pre-budget
report, is good news for an estimated 27,000
properties that may benefit from new or
improved flood risk protection a year earlier
than planned.
The final approval for
the projects will be determined in February
2009, following the necessary feasibility
studies and planning applications.
The extra £20m
will provide a significant boost to the
economy, helping to create jobs and investment
in critical infrastructure.
Schemes that have been
given the provisional go-ahead to commence
work in 2009/10 include:
• A comprehensive flood
risk management plan for Sheffield, that
will provide a number of options, such as
upstream storage or changes to land management,
the implementation of which will result
in an increased level of protection to 3,000
properties - over 1,000 of which were badly
affected by the summer floods of 2007.
• In Deal (Kent), the
improvement of sea defences will help protect
against future sea level rise, which would
otherwise lead to increasing flood damage
in Deal by waves overtopping the seawall.
The Environment Agency plans to strengthen
the embankment in North Deal, failure of
which would result in properties flooding.
The overall scheme will provide substantially
increased protection to over 3600 homes.
• The construction of
two pumping stations and a replacement of
a tidal sluice in the Barking and Dagenham
area of London. These works will form part
of the flood defences needed to reduce the
risk from river and tidal flooding to the
homes, businesses and vital infrastructure
in the Thames Estuary.
Since the summer 2007
floods, the Environment Agency has completed
54 new flood defences, increasing protection
to 38,000 homes, however it is not possible
to prevent flooding everywhere. The Environment
Agency is continuing to work with the public
to ensure that people are as prepared as
possible should flooding occur. The Environment
Agency is urging individuals to understand
their risk of flooding by looking at the
free flood maps on its internet site and
signing up to the free flood warning service.
Commenting on the announcement,
the Environment Agency’s Chief Executive,
Dr Paul Leinster, said: "This is good
news for a number of communities at risk
of flooding, as the government’s announcement
will enable us to start some schemes more
quickly. When completed, they will offer
protection to 27,000 properties a year earlier
than otherwise would have been possible."
"We welcome the
Government’s commitment to increase total
funding for flood risk management to £2.15
billion over the next three years. Climate
change will mean that the number of people
at high risk from flooding could rise from
1.5million to 3.5million by 2080 and we
need to do everything we can to protect
homes and communities."
+ More
Environment Agency stock
up the Ravensbourne
Over 1000 fish were released into the River
Pool and River Ravensbourne
Over 1000 fish were
released into the River Pool and River Ravensbourne
today Tuesday 9 December as part of the
Environment Agency’s ongoing work to maintain,
improve and develop freshwater fisheries.
Environment Agency Fisheries
Officers, with the help of local schoolchildren
from Mulberry Day Centre, New Cross and
Holbeach Primary School, Lewisham released
Roach, Chub and Dace at three sites on the
River Pool and River Ravensbourne on the
9 December 2008.
The juvenile fish have
been specially reared and grown at the Environment
Agency’s world leading Calverton Fish Farm
in Nottinghamshire, where the highest levels
of biosecurity are maintained to prevent
the introduction of disease.
The fish were released
in Ladywell Fields, part of which was re-developed
in 2007 through the EU life funded QUERCUS
project, delivered by the London Borough
of Lewisham. The Environment Agency invested
£50,000 in the project and was instrumental
in informing the design of the scheme that
involved diverting the river to form a new
meandering river channel through the centre
of the park. Increased flood storage; along
with features such as new bridges, backwaters
for fish and a separate wildlife pool enabling
invertebrates to flourish were also integrated.
The Environment Agency
has released fish into restored sites on
the predominantly degraded and urbanised
River Ravensbourne for the last 10 years.
This year’s event at Ladywell Fields will
help to develop the fish population in the
newly created habitat. Not only has this
scheme seen wildlife flourish it has also
created a valuable recreation space for
local residents in a highly urban area.
Environment Fisheries
Officer Emma Barton said: “The Ladywell
Fields project is a fantastic improvement
to the park landscape and river corridor
for both wildlife and people. By working
with developers and London Borough of Lewisham,
we hope to ensure that the recovery of Ravensbourne
will continue so that wildlife and fish
can thrive.”
The Environment
Agency carry out more than 500 fish stockings
transfers every year. Stocking of fish can
bring socio-economic and conservation benefits
to fisheries by increasing the numbers and
species of fish available for capture, or
by restoring stocks lost due to pollution
or habitat degradation.
