95591_Thames Ditton SPRING 2005 02/09/2014 15:59 Page 28 Thames Ditton Today Winter 2014 Flooding and FOR FREE The Lower Thames Strategy EVERYTHING DESIGN& IN PLANNING New Showroom SERVICE Late last year and early this year there the section of the River Thames between LUXURY NOW OPEN was considerable flooding in and around Teddington Lock and Datchet, including Thames Ditton, following the country’s Thames Ditton. Subsequent to Public BATHROOMS wettest-ever winter. We live at the end of Consultation in 2009, surveys and outline & SHOWERS 122 SUMMER ROAD Alexandra Road, near the Albany pub, design work are underway. Open: THAMES DITTON and and in the peak, apart from flooding Now called the River Thames our basement (even with two sump pumps Monday to SURREY Scheme (Datchet to Teddington) further KT7 0QP going), the flood water was crossing our consultation is expected as the scheme • Full fi tting garden to join water that had already Friday 020 8398 4324 develops. For the stretch of river between service flooded from the street gullies, (see photo). Molesey and Teddington Locks, no actual 8am to 5pm To find out more we contacted our MP improvements are proposed to the river available (Dominic Raab) and the Environment channel but the weirs at both locks will be Saturday Agency (EA). Both, it must be said, have upgraded to provide increased flow and 9.30am been extremely helpful! Here are the main reduce the water levels upstream of each • All heating points that we have found. weir in flood conditions. It is estimated that & plumbing to 3pm According to EA records, peak river peak flow for the 1:20 year flood event will flows in early February were significantly increase by around 4% when the rest of the requirements lower than those experienced in the past Lower Thames Strategy is implemented. floods at just over 500 cubic metres of Improvements to the weirs will be water per second. In 1947 the peak was the first part of the strategy, starting in • Full central around 700 and in 1894, 800 cubic metres 2016/17, subject to planning and funding heating per second. However, this year the high being agreed. The operation of the weir at flow was maintained over many more Teddington is subject to tidal influences, systems weeks than previously. This peak flow including whether the Thames Barrier is represented about a 1:15 year event. It was operated. It seems that for maintenance a slightly higher level than the flooding reasons, the Thames Barrier will be used • Boiler services recorded in Thames Ditton in 2003. less into the future and the EA will be Thames Ditton’s most relevant undertaking detailed modelling of the & repairs measuring point for river height is on operation of the weir under different Thames Ditton Island - Site 7246. The peak flooding and tide scenarios to ensure that • Burst pipes, height recorded there was 6.77m above the designs will be effective. sea level (normal range 4.46–5.50m) on In addition, the EA is making Property washing 10th Feb 2014. Thames Ditton Island paths Level Products (PLP) available to and gardens were flooded and water went qualifying residents in Thames Ditton to machines about 100m up Alexandra Road, affecting make their homes more flood resistant. & dishwashers several houses. The criterion for eligibility is a ‘threshold’ 121 ANYARDS ROAD, COBHAM, SURREY KT11 2LJ The EA has been planning to implement level of less than the 1:40 year flood event, TEL: 01932 866471 / 868523 the Lower Thames Strategy to improve post-scheme. flood resilience for some time. This covers 28 29 In Thames Ditton, the EA are relating There is another unrelated grant this to their available modelling output available, administered by Surrey County for a 1 in 50 year event. This equates to Council called the Repair and Renew Grant. a level of 7.3m at Thames Ditton Island, This provides up to £5,000 per property to 0.53m higher than this year. The EA has repair damage sustained last winter as a undertaken surveys in all areas that it result of flooding, irrespective of insurance believes are at risk and is approaching cover and to improve resilience. households that qualify. The products will The EA will also be considering be provided free of charge and will require community level measures for Thames manual installation whenever there is an Ditton that may protect many houses in EA flood warning. the area. This will include discussions with The ‘threshold’ is taken as the lowest Thames Water and/or the Local Council property threshold and does not take into to prevent flood water coming from their account the existence of basements etc.. street gullies and consideration of raising These are likely to be more affected by bank levels at the lowest points. ground water levels rising which, because We shall continue to keep in touch there is a lot of Thames gravel, increase with Dominic Raab and the EA to quickly as the river level rises. There are a monitor progress and will report anything number of houses with basements that were significant via this magazine. Meanwhile, affected (including ours) and I have made let’s hope that mother nature doesn’t the point that, although using the threshold provide us with another 1:15 year event level is easy to measure and administer, it this winter and is kind enough to wait until does unfairly discriminate against these, as the flood improvements are made! basement levels will normally be lower. Linda and Tony Thompson 30.