Leigh Old Town and Southend-on-Sea Policy Unit: Thames Estuary 2100
What needs to be done to manage flood risk and adapt to rising sea levels in Leigh Old Town and Southend-on-Sea, one of 23 policy units in Thames Estuary 2100.
Applies to England
Map centred on the Leigh Old Town and Southend-on-Sea policy unit. This extends from Two Tree Island in the east to Shoebury Ness in the west and incudes the Thorpe Bay area and North Shoebury areas. The map extends 4 kilometres (km) north, 1.5km south and around 1km east and west of the policy unit boundary to show the surrounding areas. The flood risk layer shows that, without the existing flood defences, there is a 0.1% or higher chance of flooding each year in the Thorpe Bay and Gunners Park areas of the policy unit. The risk is reduced by defences.
Description
Leigh Old Town and Southend-on-Sea Policy Unit starts at Two Tree Island and extends to Shoeburyness and includes parts of Southend.
Southend-on-Sea has continuous sea frontage and continues to be developed as an important leisure and recreational area. Leigh Old Town has a historic frontage and a strong fishing tradition.
The council responsible for this area is Southend-on-Sea City Council.
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 are mostly residential but also include:
- rail infrastructure
- 12 schools
- 9 care homes
- a hospice
The types of flooding that could affect this policy unit include:
- tidal flooding from the Thames – when the tide overtops flood defences
- fluvial flooding from local watercourses including Prittle Brook – when heavy rainfall causes rivers to overflow their banks or defences
- surface water – when heavy rainfall is unable to drain away
- a combination of these
Managing flood risk in this area
To manage these risks there are tidal flood defences on the Thames that include revetment and wave walls. Beaches with associated groynes mitigate the impacts of wave action. There are drainage system outfalls, including at Prittle Brook.
Southend-on-Sea has flood defences along the entire frontage.
In Leigh Old Town there are resilient buildings and measures for quick drainage of flood water. These are used instead of defences to avoid creating a barrier between the town and estuary, which would disrupt the fishing trade.
This policy unit overlaps with the Essex and South Suffolk shoreline management plan (SMP). It is essential that there is good communication between Thames Estuary 2100 and the Essex and South Suffolk SMP to ensure that there is no conflict between the flood and coastal management policies and action plans developed by these 2 strategies.
The Environment Agency 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 P4 policy applies.
This means we will take further action to keep up with climate and land use change so that flood risk does not increase. We will need to work with other risk management authorities to do more to manage flood risk.
Find out more about flood risk management policies.
Local requirements: who needs to do what
Tidal flood defence owners
By 2040, 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
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.
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 include a riverside strategy approach to tidal flood defence upgrades.