To include:

·         Update on River Thames Scheme

·         Update on Middle Thames Flood Alleviation Schemes

·         Update on Marlow Flood Alleviation Scheme

20 mins

Update on River Thames Scheme

The Environment Agency (EA) had a generic email address for River Thames Scheme queries which was regularly monitored. Any emails sent to that inbox would receive an informed response.

The River Thames Scheme was not just an EA scheme and treasury approval for the scheme was expected in 2017. There is a risk relating to securing sufficient funding. Currently, the cost of the scheme was estimated at £476m but there was a shortfall of £227.6m. However, the scheme would help save local communities benefitting from the scheme an expected £5bn from damages caused by flooding.

There was a £108m projected landfill tax and it was hoped that materials would be reused instead of heading to landfill which would help keep costs down. It was a complex arrangement so there would be a minerals plan and a reuse plan.

There was a funding strategy group Chaired by Cllr David Hodge of Surrey County Council, and Councillor Simon Dudley was a member of that group. Brochures were being released call ‘a case for investment’ which could be circulated to the Group. Full funding must be in place before the scheme is started. Planning permission for the flood channel had still to be secured. Site investigation work had flagged up issues such as land contamination so there may be some more costs or savings to be found.

1D and 2D models were being developed. The 1D model extends for Henley to Southend and the 2D model extends from Hurley to Teddington. The River Thames Scheme model is the largest model prepared in Europe and is the largest and most complex model prepared by the EA. There is still some scope to adjust the channel route and the modelling will be used to assess this. The modelling will also be used to assess potential benefits and impacts of temporary defences.

There will be ecology and environment surveys being carried out and a community engagement exercise would take place. Scott Salmon will lead on community engagement in RBWM area.

There were 21 separate parcels of land to negotiate for the channel in the RBWM area and seven habitat risk assessments.

The overall business case was due to be submitted by January 2018, and the EA would be circulating a regular newsletter.

PCllr Clasper commented that there was a lot of information to absorb and suggested that a special meeting took place to help understand all the information. Scott Salmon from the EA said he would make the request for a special meeting but could not guarantee that it would take place. The Chairman stated he would also approach the River Thames Scheme Project Manager requesting that such a meeting be arranged.

PCllr Clasper also sought clarity regarding the funding requirements for the scheme and the EA confirmed that the project needed to have all funding in place by January 2018, and whether a commitment to complete the full scheme existed and the Chairman confirmed that it did.

Update on Middle Thames Flood Alleviation Plan

The Environment Agency was still collecting a lot of information and was working with Thames Water (TW). The next step was to discuss concerns with the Borough and County Councils along this length of the Thames. The EA would then engage with all of the Thames side parish councils. It was a national project looking at the Thames from the downstream end of the Oxford scheme, in the Cotswolds, through to the upstream end of the Maidenhead Windsor and Eton Flood  Alleviation Scheme.  The EA confirmed that the Middle Thames plan and the Lower Thames scheme overlapped. A feasibility study was taking place and the EA was looking into flood storage areas more closely and were keeping all options open.

The EA was also taking a more strategic approach to the deployment of temporary flood defences, trying to defend against more frequent flood events, and ensuring that temporary defences are placed in areas where they will work.

Update on Marlow Flood Alleviation Scheme

Detailed design is currently in progress and tenders for construction will go out shortly. Some advance works were due to start in late 2016 with construction of the main scheme due to start in Spring 2017. The EA were also looking at deploying temporary flood defences in the event of flooding occurring in the interim. The EA confirmed that they were keen to talk to Bisham Parish Council prior to commencement of the construction of the Marlow Flood Alleviation Scheme. James McFarlane asked how interlinked the various Thames schemes were, and the EA confirmed that the River Thames Scheme, Middle Thames Plan and Marlow Schemes were linked. James McFarlane sought confirmation of the extent of the River Thames Scheme and the EA confirmed that the scheme extended from Datchet to Teddington through Runnymede and Spelthorne.

Martin Coker asked that the EA update Cookham Parish Council on progress on the Marlow Flood Alleviation scheme ,as they were just downstream of Marlow, and the EA confirmed that they would include Cookham Parish Council in all correspondence.