Flood protection restored to 115,000 homes
22 Apr 2014 11:00 AM
350 damaged flood risk
management assets already repaired following winter flood and storm damage
restoring protection to 115,000 properties
- 350 damaged flood risk
management assets already repaired following winter flood and storm damage
restoring protection to 115,000 properties
- Over 150,000 flood risk
management assets inspected in the wake of severe storms and
flooding
- Over 100 Environment Agency
flood risk management specialist inspectors, aided by around 200 members of the
armed forces took six weeks to complete the inspections
Many of the flood risk assets
that were damaged in the extreme weather since December are already being
repaired by the Environment Agency – with repairs to over 350 defences
already completed, restoring protection to over 115,000 homes. A further 650
assets have repairs planned or underway, to restore protection to a further
180,000 properties.
Armed forces and Environment
Agency inspect over 150,000 flood schemes
Environment Agency flood asset
inspectors and over 200 members of the armed forces have this month completed
an assessment of over 150,000 flood risk management assets across the
country.
Following the extraordinary combination of severe weather and flooding since
early December 2013, the Environment Agency called in assistance from military
personnel to help in visually inspecting and recording the condition of
England’s flood assets.
Getting on with the
repairs
Dr Paul Leinster, Environment
Agency Chief Executive, said:
Many of the flood risk
management assets damaged in the extreme weather since December have already
been repaired, restoring protection, and peace of mind, to many communities
across the country. But there is still much more to do, and thanks to the
completed inspections we now have a full picture of the condition of all the
flood risk management assets across the country. We have prioritised the most
urgent repairs.
Flooding Minister, Dan Rogerson,
said:
Our flood defences took a
battering over the winter but we are getting on with the job of repairing them.
We want to see our flood defences back up to full working conditions which is
why we have provided the Environment Agency with an additional £270
million to fix and maintain them over the next two years.
Minister for the Armed Forces,
Mark Francois, said:
Military personnel have played a
vital role in flood relief efforts alongside counterparts from local
authorities, emergency services and other Government departments. We are proud
to be able to make a contribution and will remain on hand to provide assistance
where necessary. Priority repairs have been completed in Weymouth, where sea
defences were washed away by stormy seas during January and February, at
Greatham Creek in Teeside, where flood waters ripped a fifty metre breach in
the sea defence embankment, and at beaches right along the Lincolnshire coast,
dune systems are being repaired to restore protection to over 20,000
properties.
In Kent, the Denge frontage near
Camber was severely affected by the storms. Throughout the winter, Environment
Agency staff carried out emergency works to shore up the defences and reduce
the risk of flooding to thousands of homes across Romney Marsh. In total more
than 40,000 tonnes of shingle was returned along this stretch of the
coastline.
Further along the Kent coastline
sea defences at Hythe Ranges were breached. The Environment Agency has worked
closely with the Ministry of Defence and contractors to stabilise the beach and
repair the damage. This work has reduced the risk of flooding to 68 mobile
homes, 21 residential properties and the A259.