Work starts on increased flood protection for Starcross and Cockwood
More than 660 homes and businesses at Starcross and Cockwood will be better protected from coastal flooding as work started today (8 January 2018) on a new £4 million flood scheme.
Cockwood, 2015
At Starcross the Environment Agency will install 2 new floodgates at Church Road and Generals Lane slipway. They will also raise the car park levels at the Fishing and Cruising Club.
In Cockwood the harbour wall will be improved with a raised level along Dawlish Road in line with predicted sea level rises. Work is expected to take around 6 months and be finished by summer.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said:
The storms hitting our coast in the past week demonstrate the importance of tidal defences. We are making a number of improvements to increase the level of flood protection in this area. Across England we are investing £2.6 billion in over 1,500 flood and coastal schemes to help protect homes and businesses at risk. This important scheme has been designed to reduce the risk of tidal flooding to more than 660 residential and commercial properties.
From 8 January the road around Cockwood harbour, including Church Road and Dawlish Warren road, will be closed to traffic to allow work to be carried out and to ensure public safety. Pedestrians will continue to have access.
Works and road closures have been timed to avoid school holidays and the summer season but we apologise for any inconvenience the closures cause.
Construction of the Starcross and Cockwood tidal defence scheme begins just a few weeks after the £12m Dawlish Warren beach management scheme was opened by Michael Gove. The Dawlish Warren scheme provides increased flood protection to around 2,800 properties in the Exe estuary. Once complete, the Starcross and Cockwood tidal defence scheme is expected to further reduce flood risk for over 660 properties.
Notes to editors
The Environment Agency builds, maintains and improves sea defences to reduce the risk of coastal flooding. About 1.8 million homes are at risk of coastal flooding and erosion in England.
Between 2015 and 2021 the Environment Agency is investing in over 1,500 flood and coastal schemes to help protect homes and businesses at risk.
From 2015 to 2021, the Environment Agency is investing £2.5 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management projects.