Environment Agency announces new £300m contract to reduce flood risk

13 Nov 2014 03:50 PM

The new contract is to deliver a £300m programme to reduce flood risk in London and the Thames estuary.

The Environment Agency has yesterday announced it has agreed the largest single flood risk management contract it has ever awarded to CH2M Hill.

What will the contract deliver?

The £300 million Thames Estuary Asset Management Programme will deliver the first 10 years of capital investment in flood risk management schemes as recommended by the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan (TE2100).The programme will operate with the name Thames Estuary Asset Management 2100 (TEAM2100).

The programme will further reduce the risk of flooding for 1.25 million people across Kent, Essex and London. It will also reduce the risk to £200 billion worth of property, UK Government, major infrastructure and businesses. In London, for every £1 we invest on reducing the risk for communities saves £38 in damage repair.

Suppliers from all over Europe were invited to bid for the programme. By putting projects out to tender with a competitive bidding process, the Environment Agency has saved an estimated £100m for the taxpayer when compared to previous ways of working.

Paul Leinster, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said:

We are pleased to welcome CH2M Hill as our partner to deliver this vital programme of works to refurbish and update the current flood risk management systems along the Thames Estuary.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said:

Floods can be hugely devastating, as the events of last winter showed. This £300m investment will reduce the risk of tidal flooding in the Thames, protecting over a million people and £200 billion worth of property to ensure that London’s vital economy is not affected by adverse weather.

Floods Minister Dan Rogerson, said:

We absolutely recognise the importance of tackling flooding which is why we are spending £3.2 billion on flood management and defences. That’s more than ever before and half a billion more than in the previous parliament.

This impressive £300 million project will not only provide better protection from flooding for millions of people and businesses, it will also protect the thriving London economy. It is a great example of all the work going ahead right across the country to reduce the risk of flooding to homes, businesses and farmland.

CH2M Hill’s regional managing director Mark Thurston said:

We are delighted to have been named delivery partner for the TEAM2100 programme. This programme fits perfectly alongside our other major infrastructure programmes in London including the Thames Tideway Tunnel, CrossRail and High Speed 2 and will help maintain London as a thriving and global leading city. CH2M Hill has extensive experience of working on the Thames estuary and some of the world’s largest water projects and has a strong relationship with the Environment Agency from its work on various UK flood defence framework contracts. We look forward to managing this project and playing a vital role in maintaining and developing the tidal flood defences in the Thames Estuary for future generations.