Project News

Roach and Crouch Flood Management Strategy
Strategy dissemination workshops will be held for stakeholders in June and July 2005

First annual international ComCoast meeting held in Essex
ComCoast partners from Holland , Denmark and Germany will be visiting Essex at the beginning of June 2005 to gain a clearer understanding of the UK approach to flood risk management and strategy development. The visit will include presentations about ComCoast, a site visit to Abbott's hall, a barge trip down the Crouch estuary and presentations from partners regarding the local contributions to the ComCoast project including the Wallasea Wetland Creation Scheme, the Roach and Crouch Flood Management Strategy, Abbott's Hall realignment scheme and the Horsey Island recharge works.

The ComCoast project deals with the identification and understanding of social, economic and technical opportunities and constraints of innovative coastal and flood risk management techniques and the delivery of a more sustainable environment.

Construction begins on the Wallasea Scheme ( 03 May 2005 )
Construction of the Wallasea Scheme is under way. The project will progress through a number of different stages (programme outlined below) and is due for completion in October 2006. Wallasea is a land-mark scheme for the area as it involves the Managed Realignment of sea defences and the creation of 110-120 hectares of wetland habitat. The scheme fits in with the Roach and Crouch strategy, will create a more sustainable estuary shape, and provide valuable new intertidal habitat which will compensate for losses incurred through sea level rise and coastal squeeze. The total project cost is estimated to be in the region of £7 million.

Programme for the Wallasea Scheme:

Construction started 3 May 2005 .

• Stage 1 to complete new landward sea wall by November 2005.
• Stage 2 to import and place by sea 750k tonnes of fine sediment to construct new salt marsh - start Nov 2005 complete June 2006.
• Stage 3 to landscape area and breach existing sea walls - start July 2006, complete by October 2006.
• There will then follow 5 years of post breach monitoring.

Blackwater and Colne Newsletter Coming Soon (June 2005)
The latest version of the Blackwater and Colne Quarterly Newsletter is to be launched in June. This follows on from the previous editions and contains the latest news on the development of the strategy.

Blackwater and Colne Strategy due to be completed Summer 2005
The Blackwater and Colne Strategy is due to be completed this Summer. An assessment of the economic case for a range of flood management options for the Strategy is almost complete.

Stour and Orwell Flood Risk Management Strategy Plan
Halcrow and the Environment Agency have completed the first stage of the Stour and Orwell Flood Risk Management Strategy Plan. The work, which started in March 2004, has scoped the further work that is required to develop a strategy for the estuaries. The first stage of the work has undertaken a number of baseline studies including: a data collation exercise, an appraisal of the estuary processes, an inspection of the existing defences and a strategic environmental assessment. A hydrodynamic model, which includes the areas of land surrounding the estuary has also been set up for the estuary. This has been used in conjunction with a GIS package (MDSF) to predict the extent of flood damages for various events under present day conditions. The second stage of the work is scheduled to run from July 2005 to October 2006 and will build upon the baseline studies that have been completed already. The main focus of the next stage of the work will be to appraise the options for flood risk management around the estuary by considering a range of technical, economic and environmental issues. Consultation forms an important part of the strategy development and a stakeholder group has been set-up and mail shots sent out to the local community in stage 1. This approach will continue in stage 2 and may be supplemented by local meetings or exhibitions.

Hamford Water Flood Risk Management Strategy Plan
This is due to start in June 2005. The first stage of the work will be a scope out the key issues in the study area to allow the development of a focussed set of work packages to deliver an appropriate strategy for the area.