Isle of Dogs and Lea Valley Policy Unit: Thames Estuary 2100
What needs to be done to manage flood risk and adapt to rising sea levels in Isle of Dogs and Lea Valley, one of 23 policy units in Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100).
Applies to England
Map centred on the Isle of Dogs and Lea Valley policy unit boundary. This unit includes the Canary Wharf area. It also extends northwards to parts of Stratford, which includes the Olympic Park. Surrounding areas outside the boundary are shown, with the map extending approximately 5 kilometres (km) to the east and west and 1km to the north and south. The flood risk layer shows that, in much of the policy unit, there is a 0.1% or higher chance of flooding each year without the existing flood defences. The risk is reduced by defences.
Description
The Isle of Dogs and Lea Valley Policy Unit starts east of St Katharine Dock and Wapping and extends to Blackwall. It covers the Canary Wharf business district and extends northwards along the tidal River Lea to Stratford and Hackney Wick. It includes the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The local councils responsible for this area are:
- London Borough of Hackney
- London Borough of Newham
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The River Lea joins the Thames in this area.
Use the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) map to view all the policy units.
Local areas at risk and types of flooding
The policy unit has a very high density of development, much of it in the flood risk area.
This includes:
- extensive residential and industrial areas
- West India and Millwall Docks
- Canary Wharf underground station
- Blackwall Tunnel and its approach roads
The river frontage is regularly under development. There are development opportunities with new riverside housing in Poplar and disused industrial sites in the Lea Valley. The London Plan also identifies potential for new homes and jobs in the area.
There are different types of flooding that could affect this policy unit. This includes:
- tidal flooding from the River Thames and the River Lea - when the tide overtops flood defences
- fluvial flooding from the River Lea - when heavy rainfall causes rivers to overflow their banks or defences
- surface water flooding - when heavy rainfall is unable to drain away
- surface water flooding from urban drainage sources
- a combination of these
Managing flood risk in this area
The area is protected by the Thames Barrier and secondary tidal flood defences along the Thames frontage and the River Lea.
There are fluvial flood defences on the River Lea, including the Lea Flood Relief Channel. The Lea system includes navigation channels that could provide pathways for floodwater, for example the Limehouse Cut.
There are 5 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to reduce flooding from urban drainage.
There is a separate flood risk strategy for the fluvial River Lea. Read Managing flood risk: lower Lee catchment.
The Isle of Dogs is part of a study to calculate the cost of raising and replacing all the flood defences.
Fluvial flooding from the Thames is unlikely in this policy unit because fluvial flood levels would not overtop the defences.
The Environment Agency use 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 P5 policy applies to the tidal flood defences.
This means the Environment Agency and our partners need to take further action to reduce the risk of flooding, including upgrading the defences to cope with future sea level rise.
Find out more about flood risk management policies.
Local requirements: who needs to do what
Tidal flood defence owners
By 2050, tidal flood defence owners in this policy unit should:
- work with the council, developers and local infrastructure providers to adapt defences and achieve multiple benefits through proposed development
- work with the Environment Agency to raise defences where required
For further information read outcome 2: improving fixed flood defences.
Local councils
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.
Thames Estuary Partnership
The Thames Estuary Partnership will work with communities, councils, the Environment Agency and other partners to update the Thames Strategy East.
This landscape vision for the river corridor will include a riverside strategy approach to tidal flood defence upgrades.