At a virtual meeting of the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee on 18/10/2023 attended by about 60 people I queried an item on the 2024/5 Capital Programme update. I believe that the Thames RFCC is there for purposes of oversight, scrutiny and if necessary, to challenge flood defence expenditure. At the meeting I did not consent to further expenditure of >£20m on the River Thames Scheme.
I am concerned that over £70m has already been spent on RTS project development. The project is now reduced in size and capacity but the expenditure and the timescales are steadily increasing. In my opinion – after many years of development – this project not only lacks coherence but also exhibits similarities with HS2. Previous assurances have not been kept and the £10m repeatedly mentioned previously simply does not exist
It is unacceptable to the residents within the RTS catchment to have Channel one flood protection removed from the scheme which was a fully designed to include the control of flood water within the River Thames to include the Jubilee River at one end and onwards to the Thames Barrier at the other. This was a coordinated design scheme approach of which the residents and their property insurers are entitled.
The design was costed out to expend £35m at the front end design for the scheme. Removing Channel one undermines the whole integrity of the scheme and increases and introduces flooding risk into sections 2 and 3 . All set out in my report to the EA dated December 2022. Not replied to .
The up front cost has escalated to £70m at present for an emasculated uncoordinated open risk scheme for which a shovel has not been put in the ground.
I do not see why any further money should be spent until technical assurances have been made to cover and design out the issues that I have raised.
The escalation of costs from £35m to £70m and the delay to commencement of the scheme have been bought about by trying to put in place an incomplete scheme with a major component removed.
There is only one answer put back Channel One. The Government can afford to do it now that HS2 expenditure is decreased.
Cllr Ian Thompson , Datchet Parish Council, Lead Member for Flooding and Drainage.