The Environment Agency has started work on the second phase of a £10 million flood scheme between Littlestone-on-Sea and St.Mary’s Bay in Kent where surrounding land is now as much as 2 metres lower than the spring tide high water mark.

The scheme will reduce the risk of flooding to nearly 3,000 homes, 200 caravans, 120 chalets, a holiday park, two golf courses, 10,000 square metres of warehousing, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), over a thousand hectares of grade 1 farmland and a major trunk road.

However, local fishermen have threatened to interfere with the dredging work even though the Environment Agency will compensate commercial fishermen in the area for any loss as a direct result of these activities.

The current flood defences have reached the end of their useful life. At the same time most of the surrounding land is up to 2 metres below the high water mark of spring tides.

The impact of global warming with its associated sea level rise and storminess will increase overtopping and increase the risk of a possible breach with devastating consequences including a high possibility of loss of life.

It is essential that the work is carried out this summer in order to ensure adequate protection is in place for residents by this coming winter.

The project involved the strengthening and raising of the existing sea wall together with the formation of a substantial shingle beach. The beach will be maintained by recycling the shingle annually as part of an ongoing maintenance programme. This operation is typical of the way the Agency manages beaches along the South Coast.

In order to create the new beach it will be necessary to pump the shingle ashore through a 500 metre long pipe. A dredger will connect to the pipe just before high water and remain for about an hour while the shingle is pumped ashore.

Local fishermen have been asked to stay away from the potentially dangerous dredging operations. However, at the present time negotiations to provide assurances that the fishermen will not interfere with the dredging operations have broken down.

The Environment Agency has had to seek and obtain an injunction against the fishermen. The injunction prevents the fishermen from interfering with flood defence operations that are urgently needed to protect over 3,000 highly vulnerable homes.

The Environment Agency remains hopeful of reaching an amicable agreement with the fishermen for any fair and demonstrable losses incurred as a result of these flood defence activities.

It is important that work continues unhindered to ensure adequate defences are in place before winter sets in.