'Report raises concerns over Peninsula and Thames Estuary flood defences' - says Lib Dems campaigner

The recently released report by the Environment Agency ‘Isle of Grain Policy Unit: Thames Estuary (TE2100)’ highlights the likely widespread flooding of the Isle of Grain on this part of the outer estuary, in extreme weather events.

Land on some parts of the Peninsula is within flood zone 3 which has a high probability of flooding. Current measures are inadequate - existing flood defences might reduce the risk, but could fail. Flash floods will increase in number by 2050 and sea levels are predicted to rise by 10 - 30 cm also. TE2100 calls on the Council to produce Riverside strategies either as a standalone document or part of a Local Plan, created with local communities, and in place by 2030. Visions for the riverside show how flood defence upgrades can deliver social value and multiple benefits.

In some places in the outer estuary, they will need to be in place earlier. This is because planning for defence raising will need to start before 2030. Riverside strategies enable opportunities to upgrade flood defences through planned developments. Decisions taken in the 2020s will determine the quality of public space along the river for generations. Ensuring the Peninsula’s communities, growth, and infrastructure is resilient to climate change, and to future sea level rise, the Council needs to urgently ensure that TE2100 requirements will be embedded into the Local Plan.

Alan Wells, Medway Liberal Democrats Strood Rural campaigner said, "I am very concerned about the findings of the report, to protect the Isle of Grain and this part of the Peninsula against future sea level rise. This is now a matter of some urgency on the part of various agencies, including the Council.

The delay and lack of planning in producing Medway’s Local Plan is very troubling and could mean there will not be enough time to implement key defences. TE2100 calls upon Medway Council to set out plans to manage the flood risk and adapt to rising sea levels, by 2030. This covers flood risk, waste water management and infrastructure investment.

There is now some urgency needed by the Council in planning ahead to tackle these concerns. Given the need to address much of that call to action in this Council term, I have already written a question to Council seeking urgent clarification on what work will the Council take to develop plans for future riversides, and will the Council commit to engaging Peninsula communities affected by flood risk and rising sea levels in Medway ?.

With rising sea levels, climate change and the affects of the Thames Barrier up river to protect London, residents located in this part of the Peninsula, deserve to know what emergency plans are in place, or is the outer estuary being sacrificed to protect the capital, to become a flood plane ?. Peninsula families and businesses at risk of flooding around the Thames Estuary will want to know that the Council has a plan to protect their communities, energy, economic and transport infrastructure.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For the report visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/isle-of-grain-policy-unit-thames-estuary-2100

What needs to be done to manage flood risk and adapt to rising sea levels in Isle of Grain, one of 23 policy units in Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100). From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Environment Agency Published 19 April 2023

The areas at risk of flooding are mostly road and rail infrastructure and residential properties. There are some very large facilities in the industrial area, including:

London Thamesport

Grain LNG (liquified natural gas) Import Terminal
NeuConnect electricity interconnector

It is of strategic and economic importance that these sites and any future developments are protected.

Environment Agency director of flood risk strategy and national adaptation Julie Foley said “What we already know in the Thames Estuary is that climate change is happening: sea level is rising faster than we were expecting, assets are deteriorating faster than we were expecting and some of the key dates that we originally thought we needed for bringing forward investments and raising flood defences are coming forward.”