Background
The Pfizer Global research site and the neighbouring Sandwich Town have a low standard of flood protection with a 1 in 20 (5 per cent) chance of tidal flooding every year. We developed a flood management scheme that protects the Pfizer site, 488 households in Sandwich and valuable infrastructure, such as the main coastal access routes. This scheme would provide a 1 in 200 standard of protection at a cost of £25.5 million for capital and maintenance. The scheme was in the programme agreed by our Board in February 2011, but the subsequent announcement by Pfizer to close their site affected the cost benefit of the scheme and therefore its eligibility for funding.
The scheme
The Scheme is part of the Pegwell Bay to Kingsdown Coastal Defence Strategy (2008). It is made up of 16 reaches (map below) with measures including:
- construction of flood walls and embankments of varying heights (between 0.5m – 1.2m in town) on both banks of the River Stour
- construction of a tidal flood relief area outside of the town at Broad Salts, with associated spillway and embankments
- a 1m high new floodwall at Sandwich Quay.
Programme update
We are currently reviewing the outline design options, and are aiming to finalise the preferred options for each of the 16 reaches by end of January 2012.
Detailed design will commence March/April 2012, and run in parallel with our planning application.
We are meet with Dover District Council on 23 January to commence pre-planning discussions and are aiming to submit our planning application in April 2012.
Construction is currently planned as follows:
- Oct 2012 to May 2013: Reach 15 (left bank, Stonar Lake) and Reaches 4 and 5 (right bank, Town and Quay)
- Apr 2013 to Nov 2013: Reach 14 (Sandwich Marine), Reach 2 (u/s right bank), Reach 16 (Pfizer)
- Sep 2013 to Aug 2014: Reach 1 (u/s right bank) and Reach 3 (Gazen Salts), Reach 12 (u/s left bank)
- Jun 2014 to Aug 2015: Reaches 8–11 (u/s right bank spillway and flood storage area)
This programme would mean the left bank is defended from August 2014 (Reach 12 works complete), and the whole scheme is complete by August 2015.
View the briefing document and press release