Lower Thames Flood Plan Consultation - you have until 18th December to respond

4.16.00pm GMT Thu 26th Nov 2009

The Environment Agency is consulting on the new Flood Plan for the Lower Thames - covering all the Thames in Spelthorne - and the closing date is the 18th December. Details of the plan and how to comment are given below.

The scheme is putting forward a number of measures to improve the flow of flood water down the Thames. The risk is that by making things better on one part of the river will make things worse somewhere else.

The plan has to consider the whole of the Lower Thames and any residents who live close to the river should look at the plan and consider if there are any local factors that they think the Environment Agency may have missed.

Local Liberal Democrats are in principle in favour of the plan as it is seeking to address the very real threat of flooding in Spelthorne. We have concerns that there has been inadequate consideration of surface water flooding and have made representations to this effect. We are also aware of a number of localised issues where we would like to see the plan adjusted.

According to the Environment Agency there are "currently 15,000 residential properties within the Lower Thames floodplain from Datchet to Teddington are at risk of flooding from the River Thames in a 1% annual chance event. The Lower Thames Flood Risk Management Strategy will tackle the risk of flooding to these properties within this area - one of the areas of highest flood risk in England."

So far the Environment Agency say that they have had more than 2,000 responses.

You can register your opinions on-line at the Environment Agency website www.environment-agency.gov.uk/lts

You can email lts@environment-agencv.gov.uk

You can write to the Project Team at Swift House, Frimley Business Park, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 7SQ.

The full strategy is available on-line at www.environment-agency,gov.uk/lts