EA outlines flood investment plans for civil engineering jobs in Thames region
The Environment Agency has announced how it will utilise £99.6m of central government funding to reduce the risk of flooding in the Thames region over the next year.
Their investment plan will create civil engineering jobs across the area, as funds will be used to build new river and tidal defences. Maintenance jobs on existing defences will also be funded by the investment, as the agency's strategy seeks to reduce the risk of flooding between now and March 2011.
As well as funding construction and engineering work, the EA aims to develop flood forecasting technologies and heighten public awareness of flood risk. The announcement over the investment plans was made shortly after the agency announced that 130,000 properties in the Thames region would be automatically enrolled in a free flood warnings service, doubling the existing number of registered properties in the area.
"The 2007 floods cost homeowners, businesses, emergency services and others some £3.2bn" said Thames Region Flood Risk Manager Peter Quarmby. "This underlines the importance of continued investment in reducing flood risk, particularly in the face of the more frequent and heavy storms and rising sea levels that will come with climate change."
Thames region flood defence projects that will benefit from the funding over 2010/11 include the Barking and Dagenham project; the Newman's Sluice Refurbishment scheme; and the Upper Mole Flood Alleviation Scheme.
£12m will be spent at Barking and Dagenham to improve protection to around 5,500 properties, including the construction of two new pumping stations.
£2.4m will be spent on refurbishing the existing structure at Newman's Sluice on the River Lee flood relief channel, replacing the sluice gates which protect around 4,300 properties in the Lower Lee valley.
A further £2.3m will be spent in the Upper Mole area, aiming to reduce the risk to Crawley and Horley properties and the possibility of damage to Gatwick Airport's infrastructure.
Author: William Hobson
Keywords: civil engineering jobs, maintenance jobs