Mackley and Team Van Oord have welcomed the findings of the National Flood Resilience Review which was published earlier this month (8 Sept) by the Department for Environment.
The Review recommendations include plans for improved rain and flood modelling, a ‘significant’ increase in new temporary flood defences and greater protection to infrastructure, and says the lessons learnt from last winter’s flooding will make the nation ‘better prepared and more resilient’ to flooding.
The Review includes the following key points:
- £12.5m for new temporary defences including barriers and high volume pumps, at seven strategic locations around the country. This means for winter 2016/17, the Environment Agency (EA) will have four times more temporary barriers than last winter.
- Commitment from utility companies to increase flood protection of key local infrastructure, such as phone networks and water treatment works, so they are more resilient to extreme flooding.
- A new stress test of the risk of flooding from rivers and the sea in England. For the first time, Met Office forecasts of extreme rainfall scenarios will be linked with Environment Agency modelling to provide a new assessment of flood risk.
The Government says £2.5bn is being invested between 2015 and 2021 to strengthen flood and coastal defences, and that it will use the review as the basis for investment beyond 2021, making sure funds are directed where they are most needed.
Maurits den Broeder, Chairman of Team Van Oord, said: “Team Van Oord was involved as an external consultee in the production of the National Flood Resilience Review, and we broadly welcome its findings and recommendations.
“We have been actively involved in supporting the EA and local communities in emergency flood situations since the winter floods of 2013/14. We are currently providing front line support to a number of EA areas, and are visibly active in the West Thames area facilitating works to support the deployment of temporary barriers.
“We are committed to playing an important role in delivery of the country’s largest secured capital programme – £2.3bn to protect 300,000 homes – as a leading supplier under the EA’s WEM (water and environmental management) Framework.”
29 September 2016
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