East Tilbury and Mucking Marshes Policy Unit: Thames Estuary 2100
What needs to be done to manage flood risk and adapt to rising sea levels in East Tilbury and Mucking Marshes, one of 23 policy units in Thames Estuary 2100.
Applies to England
Map centred on the East Tilbury and Mucking Marshes policy unit boundary. This includes the area of marshes from Tilbury Coalhouse Fort to Mucking Flats. The map shows the surrounding areas, 1 kilometre (km) north and south, 4.5km east and 3.5km west. The flood risk layer shows that some areas of East Tilbury have a 0.1% or higher chance of flooding each year without the existing flood defences. The defences reduce the risk of flooding.
Description
The East Tilbury and Mucking Marshes Policy Unit is an area of marshes that extends south from the western side of Stanford-le-Hope towards Coalhouse Fort.
The local council responsible for this area is Thurrock Council.
There are many local watercourses including Mucking Creek and the marsh drainage systems on East Tilbury Marshes.
The main residential area is East Tilbury.
The proposed Lower Thames Crossing emerges within this area.
Use the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) map to view all the policy units.
Local areas at risk and types of flooding
The areas at risk of flooding include:
- the Shoeburyness to London Fenchurch Street railway line
- some residential areas
- the former battery of the nearby Coalhouse Fort
- buried archaeological remains
- an important area of designated intertidal habitat
Much of the freshwater marsh is used for landfill.
The types of flooding that could affect this policy unit include:
- tidal flooding – when the tide overtops flood defences
- fluvial flooding from local watercourses including Mucking Creek and the marsh drainage systems on East Tilbury Marshes – when heavy rainfall causes rivers to overflow their banks or defences
- surface water flooding in Stanford-le-Hope – when heavy rainfall is unable to drain away
- a combination of these
Managing flood risk in this area
Tidal flood defences on the Thames Estuary manage the risk of tidal flooding in this area.
There are also fluvial drainage system outfalls at East Tilbury Marshes.
Fluvial flood risk is likely to rise as the sea level rises and fluvial flows increase. Potential measures to reduce the flood risk include:
- outfall improvement
- flood storage
- local flood defences
The Environment Agency also uses flood alerts and flood warnings to inform people about potential flooding so they can take appropriate action.
Sign up to receive flood warnings in your area.
Flood risk management policies for this area
Thames Estuary 2100 sets flood risk management policies for each area of the estuary. The policies range from P3 to P5 and outline how we should manage that area’s tidal defences.
In this area a P3 policy applies.
This means we will maintain flood defences at their current level, accepting that the flood risk will increase. We need to involve communities to prepare for this flood risk.
Find out more about flood risk management policies.
Local requirements: who needs to do what
Flood defence owners and infrastructure providers
Flood defence owners and infrastructure providers will plan to realign flood defences and improve resilience.
For further information read outcome 2: improving fixed flood defences.
Local councils
The Association of South Essex Local Authorities includes:
- Basildon
- Brentwood
-
Castle Point
- Essex County
- Rochford
- Southend-on-Sea
- Thurrock
The Association will work with the Environment Agency to manage the risk of flood and create multiple benefits. This should be part of South Essex proposals, from strategic plans to landscape-scale environment schemes. It should also be in line with the riverside strategy approach.
There is currently no riverside strategy for this area. By 2030, councils should work with communities to plan how their riverside will look in future.
Find out more about the riverside strategy approach.
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency will work with Thurrock council and the local community to implement resilience measures to manage the increased flood risk.
Network Rail
Network Rail will work with councils and the Environment Agency to ensure transport infrastructure in Essex is resilient to increasing flood risk. This will support growth in the outer estuary.
Thames Estuary Partnership
The Thames Estuary Partnership will work with communities, councils, the Environment Agency and other partners to scope the need and potential extension of the Thames Strategy East or creation of an alternative Joint Thames Strategy to cover this policy unit.
Any agreed landscape vision for the river corridor will reflect how increasing tidal flood risk will affect the environment.