25.10.19
Surrey County Council in £270m flood risk management funding
Surrey County Council’s cabinet are set to agree £270m of funding for long term flood risk management work across the county to protect homes and roads.
The funding agreement includes a contribution to the River Thames Scheme, which looks to reduce flood risk to 15,000 properties and tens of thousands of people living and working near the Thames. The scheme represents the largest investment in flood risk in the UK to date, costing £640m.
Commitments towards the scheme have already reached £404m, split across £308m government investment and a further £95m in partnership funding.
Councillor Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council, said: “The floods in 2014 were devastating for Surrey and ever since then it’s been clear we need to do all we can to make sure our residents and their properties are protected from such risks in the future."
The River Thames Scheme will create three flood alleviation channels alongside the River Thames and improve capacity at three low dams.
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It will run from Datchet in Berkshire, through Surrey to Teddington. The scheme will also support a greener future, with four country parks created as well as 23km of new footways and cycle paths.
Surrey County Council’s funding also includes £33m to spend more than ten years on flood alleviation projects and other actions to minimise the impact of flooding on homes, businesses and infrastructure across the county.
These projects could be jointly-funded, such as the recently unveiled flood alleviation scheme in Godalming which was funded by the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council and others.
Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, added: "The River Thames scheme is a vital project which will see thousands of homes, businesses and vital infrastructure better protected from flooding for decades to come.
"The huge scale of this project demonstrates what can be achieved when partners come together to achieve a common goal of helping to protect communities and boosting the local economy whilst also establishing a lasting green legacy for the area."