The Preferred Strategy
The preferred flood management options have been developed for the Roach and Crouch estuary complex for the next 50 years, taking account the key technical, economic, social and environmental issues. These options have been developed further by taking on board information that has been received during the consultation process.

The maps indicate the preferred flood management options for each flood compartment within the Roach and Crouch estuary after the first 5 years and after 50 years.

Preferred flood management options 5 years (PDF 280kb)

Preferred flood management options 50 years (PDF 296kb)

The preferred flood management options presented in these maps are not definitive and only provide an indication of where it may be appropriate to carry out works.

The Strategy adopts a high level approach and therefore the preferred flood management options do not necessarily apply to the full length of a flood defence. Whilst it is not possible to look at detailed flood management options at the strategy stage, the Environment Agency will investigate how to implement one or more flood management options on a frontage by frontage basis at the detailed scheme appraisal stage. This is when the detailed design of how we will carry out the preferred flood management options will be examined and the relevant public and stakeholders will be re-consulted at this time.

The preferred flood management options may be modified in the future following monitoring studies, strategy reviews, changes in Government policy on flood defence and funding, private initiatives or during detailed scheme appraisal.

Where the preferred flood management option maps indicate either managed realignment or the withdrawal of maintenance, these preferred flood management options will only be taken forward if new secondary flood defences are built or the land behind existing defences naturally slopes to a sufficiently high level.

This will be carried out to minimise disruption to people and property, where possible. The location of the secondary flood defences will be considered at the detailed scheme appraisal stage through consultation with the public and stakeholders.

A detailed explanation of the potential options for each flood defence length will be presented in the final Strategy report.

How will the strategy be put into practice?
Following the publication of the Strategy report, a detailed costed plan for the first five years of work will be delivered.

More detailed studies and monitoring will be required to confirm the detail of the final flood management options for individual flood compartments. This is because the Strategy considers issues at a broad brush estuary level rather than at a detailed local level.

Detailed scheme appraisals will be undertaken to determine both strategically and locally that options are technically feasible, environmentally acceptable and economically viable. All economic decisions will be based on current government investment criteria and changes in criteria will be reflected in any future evaluation of flood compartments. Only following this further detailed investigation can options be carried out on the ground, subject to gaining all necessary consents. Implementation of options on the ground will be phased over a number of years.

The Next Stage
It is hoped that the implementation of the Strategy can begin in Autumn/Winter 2005. The final Strategy has incorporated a range of issues raised during the consultation process and important studies by English Nature, which look at the ecological function of a wide range of habitats within the estuary complex. This information has been used to develop the final Strategic Environmental Assessment.

The Strategy will be reviewed on a 5-year basis and therefore key stakeholders and the public will have an opportunity to input into the Strategy on a wide range of issues when it is reviewed every 5 years. Equally, the public and stakeholders will also be consulted during the scheme appraisal stage, when the Agency will look at individual flood compartments based on the detailed costed plan for the first five years of work. The public consultation at this stage will hone in on the options for individual frontages in far more detail than at the Strategy level and the final decisions for the long term management of each frontage will only be decided at that time with full public involvement.