Tidal defences opened as the first phase of Lowestoft Flood …
Peter Aldous MP for Waveney and Cllr Caroline Topping Leader of East Suffolk Council were joined by community representatives, businesses, invited guests and local students today to mark the completion of the first phase of the Lowestoft Flood Protection scheme – the tidal walls.
A new information board was unveiled on the South Pier by Peter Aldous, Cllr Caroline Topping and Karen Thomas (Head of Coastal Partnership East).
The 1.5km of flood defences have been built in key locations impacted by 2013 East Coast Tidal Surge as part of the wider Lowestoft Flood Protection scheme. Flood walls, demountable defences and flood gates have been built along Hamilton Road, Waveney Road and Station Square. Glass-topped flood walls have been built around the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club and the South Pier to maintain views across the marina.
Cllr Caroline Topping, Leader of East Suffolk Council said “I am delighted to open the first phase of the Lowestoft Flood Protection scheme. Prior to the scheme, Lowestoft was the only coastal town in England with no formal flood defences. The completion of the flood walls will better protect many businesses from the risk of tidal flooding.
“10 years ago, in December 2013, Lowestoft was very badly affected by a tidal surge along the east coast. Homes and businesses were flooded, essential services disrupted,, and the road and rail networks were significantly impacted.
“The construction of the tidal walls began in 2021 and the work – which has been led and managed by a fantastic, dedicated team at Coastal Partnership East and East Suffolk – was completed this autumn. So, although we still need the tidal barrier to complete the tidal defences for Lowestoft, these new defences – along with the Lowestoft temporary flood barriers – provide critical protection for the town’s communities and businesses.”
During the design phase of the tidal walls, more than 1000 local students were involved in a project to promote literature and improve literacy using poetry to describe how they felt about the sea. A selection of the words and phrases contributed have been permanently engraved onto glass sections of the glass-topped floodwall with artwork supplied by Jeff Fisher, the artist who created the cover for the multi-million best-selling book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
The tidal flood walls are an important part of the overall flood protection of Lowestoft. Designed to work in conjunction with a 40m tidal barrier, proposed to be located on the seaward side of the Bascule Bridge. East Suffolk Council has recently submitted an application for a Transport and Works Act Order to progress the tidal barrier scheme.
Once complete, the Lowestoft Flood Protection scheme will better protect over 1,500 homes and 800 businesses from the risk of tidal flooding.
www.lowestoftfloodprotection.co.uk[1]
References
- ^ www.lowestoftfloodprotection.co.uk (www.lowestoftfloodprotection.co.uk)