Are the capital’s tidal flood protection plans up to scratch?
The London Assembly Environment Committee is seeking assurances from the Mayor of London that our sea flood defences are robust and future-proof. The Thames Barrier has been raised eleven times in the past few weeks, reinforcing its importance to London as protection against the tidal Thames.
The Assembly first highlighted concerns about the sustainability of the capital’s flood defences in 2002 [1] and again in 2005 [2] and again in 2011 [3].
Environment Committee Chair Murad Qureshi AM said “My sympathies are with all those people whose lives have been turned upside down by the flooding. With weather events of this nature becoming more prevalent, it’s wise and timely to check the effectiveness of the Thames Barrier and look ahead to what will replace it in the future. The Environment Agency has graphically demonstrated the scenes of devastation that could be visited on London if its flood defences were overwhelmed. It requires the immediate application of the kind of long term planning that produced the Barrier, to ensure its adequate replacement”.
An extraordinary simulated map of the devastation flooding could cause in London were released by the Environment Agency in 2011. The simulation shows the consequences of a flooded Thames.
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This is the area that may be affected by flooding in a 1 in 1000 year flood event, if none of the Thames defences, barriers and walls were in place. It does not reflect the area that would have been affected by the December storm and tidal surge.’
Notes for Editors: