FLOOD DEFENCE

We provide all the stakeholder and public liaison support to this project and are committed to keeping the local community and our stakeholders consulted, informed, and engaged. We want to keep stakeholders involved and give them the opportunity to be involved in the implementation of future flood risk protection and possible enhancements.

The £10m annual beach renourishment work replaces the sand that is lost to erosion over the winter months, reducing wave overtopping during storms and protecting the sea defences from being damaged. Reducing flood risk to 20,000 residential homes, 1,700 businesses, 24,500 static caravans, 35,000 hectares of farmland and a bustling tourist industry. These works are part of the new long term strategy for the Lincolnshire coast.

The strategy is in the planning and survey stage and is being developed through the engagement process by listening to our stakeholders and the community through formal consultation with statutory bodies. We have been hosting and engaging at statutory stakeholder engagement workshops and public consultation events involving business, tourism and community representatives as well as members of the general public. This is providing a wealth of local views and preferences which is being incorporated into the strategic future approach.

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A £42m flood defence scheme to improve the safety of the 30km flood storage reservoir dam in Cambridgeshire, by strengthening the Middle and South Level barrier banks.

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We joined this project from the very start at detailed design and has continued through to construction. This involved identifying and highlighting potential issues and provide ways to mitigate before the construction phase. Close engagement and liaison with major stakeholders. Engagement with residents, local organisations and users of the washes is vital to enable the project to progress successfully. Management of public consultations and local surgeries has been key to keeping a high and positive profile within the community.

The Cranbrook & Counter Drain Strategy developed in 2008 by the Environment Agency is seeking to sustain the current standard of Flood Risk management for the next 100 years. The preferred approach is to implement flood storage, achieved through engaging with the mineral companies advising on their mineral’s extraction restoration plans in the catchment, to reduce reliance on pumping which is carbon intensive as well as expensive. Delivery of storage is over 15-20 years through the mineral’s companies’ extraction programme.

We are providing the stakeholder and engagement support working alongside the management team to work with mineral companies and partners. Reviewing the options whilst working collaboratively with all our stakeholders to maximise opportunities to provide a more sustainable long term flood risk management solution that can bring wider social and environmental benefits for the area.

Our bank raising scheme is the most significant programme of works the Middle Level Commissioners have undertaken since the construction of the current St Germans pumping station and is the largest IDB scheme in the Great Ouse catchment.

Having received financial approval, we have been focussing on building a project team to plan and develop the scheme ready for construction. We are supporting the team by planning the engagement with our stakeholders and the local communities.

We are currently developing a full comprehensive stakeholder and engagement plan which will be vital to ensure we engage with all landowners, ratepayers, residents and members of the community.

Communities in Tonbridge and Hildenborough are at risk of flooding from the River Medway. Flooding occurred in these areas in 1960, 1963, 1968, 1974, 2001 and 2013/14. The Leigh flood storage area was built to reduce the risk of future flooding to approximately 1,200 homes and businesses.

The £21.5m scheme to further reduce the risk of flooding for more homes in the area, has 2 parts. To increase the storage capacity of the existing Leigh Flood Storage Area and construct a new embankment to protect homes in Hildenborough.

We provide the stakeholder and engagement and public liaison services to this project, engaging regularly with all stakeholder and partners highlighting milestones, any issues and progress. Our services include hosting public and internal information events, meetings and workshops; virtual and face to face, newsletters, presentations, preparing information to produce animations along with webpage and administration support.

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Lock reversal has been used to manage river levels when they are high. Reversing a lock results in fast flowing water which is unsafe for boaters, members of the public and our staff. Seven locks have been identified where reversal needs to stop to reduce risk.

The Environment Agency is looking to improve risk to properties that see a change in flood depths and the speed of flooding. We provided stakeholder engagement services to the management team, to engage with local landowners, communities and key partners, as well as working with all stakeholders who may be impacted by the changes and to identify any other possible opportunities.

We engaged with landowners to explore opportunities to store flood water on the floodplain as well as looking at working with nature based and traditional hard engineering solutions to reduce flooding.

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Lock reversal has been used to manage river levels when they are high. Reversing a lock results in fast flowing water which is unsafe for boaters, members of the public and our staff. Seven locks have been identified where reversal needs to stop to reduce risk.

The Environment Agency is looking to improve risk to properties that see a change in flood depths and the speed of flooding. We provided stakeholder engagement services to the management team, to engage with local landowners, communities and key partners, as well as working with all stakeholders who may be impacted by the changes and to identify any other possible opportunities.

We engaged with landowners to explore opportunities to store flood water on the floodplain as well as looking at working with nature based and traditional hard engineering solutions to reduce flooding.

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Working as part of the Rea Catchment Partnership, this £4 million project was to reduce the risk of inner city flooding to over 150 local homes and businesses in the Selly Park North and Selly Oak area of Birmingham.

We joined the team during detailed design and continued into construction stage. Her role was to identify and highlight potential issues to the client and provide ways of mitigation before construction. Close engagement with project partners, residents, businesses, local stakeholders and users of the reservoir was vital to understand sensitive local issues.

£3m Flood Alleviation scheme to protect 114 residential properties and 159 commercial properties.

The scheme included constructing an embanked area to store water during heavy rainfall. It also included improving the playing fields, and the repairing of a collapsing footbridge which forms part of Cannock Chase Heritage Trail.

Due to the nature of the works, close engagement was required with residents, users and local schools to limit the level of disturbance of the works. Reprogramming activities of works was required to avoid the local primary schools SAT tests and relocating residents whilst sheet piling works were at its heaviest.

Engagement with local schools, institutions, organisations and clubs is also extremely beneficial in obtaining positive publicity and in developing ways to become involved and educated in their local project.

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£26 million scheme to improve the safety of a flood storage reservoir dam at Whittlesey by strengthening 16km of the reservoir & South Barrier Bank.

We created a clear communication plan at detailed design stage that prioritised the client’s objectives. She built and maintained excellent relationships with the local community, stakeholders and project teams. This gained trust and co-operation through transparency and honesty. Meeting with the community in person helped to gain a deeper understanding of local issues.  Responding to concerns as soon as possible also built respect and trust.

A range of communication techniques ensured engagement with everyone. We managed public consultations and drop-in events involving suppliers and key partners to alleviate community concerns. Press releases, positive TV/radio interviews, briefings, newsletters, personal invitations to events, posters, project boards, social media and using partner websites created positive word-of-mouth within the community. Proactive engagement with local schools, organisations and clubs also proved beneficial. The project gained praise from the town’s Mayor, who wrote to express his thanks for the professional manner in which liaison with the local and wider community was delivered.

£12m flood alleviation scheme to improve protection to almost 5,500 properties. This included the construction of two new pumping stations and the refurbishment of tidal sluices. Our role was to provide liaison services with local councils and businesses in this highly industrialised area which relied on the water supply to conduct their businesses.

£15m Wisbech Flood Defence Scheme was successfully completed during summer 2010 and now protects 10,500 houses and 1,200 businesses against a 1-in-200-year flooding event.

Strong public liaison and minimal disruption to the local community while refurbishing 8.6km of floodwall, were fundamental to this scheme’s success. Our enthusiastic Public Liaison Officer managed the community engagement. They took responsibility for the project’s communication plan and its objectives, building and maintaining excellent relationships within the community.

We managed educational visits to schools and engaged them in artwork competitions. The role was demanding, as extensive work was conducted in close proximity to schools, businesses and residents. Roads were closed and pedestrian access to homes were limited. Managing this public interface was challenging and was successful as a result of a robust communication plan with clear objectives, managed with openness and understanding.