The Environment Agency has announced that a £14.5 million scheme to improve the tidal flood defences along the East Bank of the River Arun is set to start in Littlehampton this month.
The partnership scheme includes the construction of a new tidal river wall to protect over 2,000 residential properties and businesses against 100 years of predicted sea level rise. It will also vastly improve the walkway along the riverside, creating an attractive pedestrian route between the town and the beach.
Work to the flood wall will be complemented by design work which will raise the promenade, enhancing the views across the river. Careful planning has also gone into ensuring that the new promenade has wide visual appeal through the use of improved lighting, tree planting and attractive seating areas. The materials have been carefully chosen to preserve the coastal identity of Littlehampton whilst being robust enough to endure the exposed conditions.
The scheme, which includes flood defences from the lighthouse on the Promenade to north of the A259, is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. The project is a partnership between the Environment Agency, Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council, Littlehampton Harbour Board and Littlehampton Town Council.
David Robinson, Environment Agency Flood and Coastal Risk Operations Manager, said the work represented a major landmark in an important flood defence scheme.
Philippa Dart, Assistant Director of Environmental Services, speaking on behalf of Arun District Council added that it would protect many properties which would previously have been at risk of tidal river flooding.
Over five million people in England and Wales are now estimated to be at risk from flooding from rivers and the sea.
Want to know more about similar schemes in England up to 2018 and beyond, together with estimated value and hundreds of key named contacts? Click here for more details on our industry-leading report Selling into the UK Flood Risk Management Sector in England 2013
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