Exmouth Tidal Defense Scheme Receives Positive Response

East Devon District Council is working with the Environment Agency to upgrade the sea and estuary defenses in Exmouth.

The proposed project will reduce the risk of flooding to over 1,000 homes in Exmouth.

Since Autumn 2015, the council’s Exeter based consultants WSP│Parsons Brinkerhoff have reviewed information gathered from flood modelling, a topographic survey and geotechnical investigations and  developed a number of options to upgrade Exmouth’s flood defenses along the estuary side and sea front.

Following this, East Devon has held consultation events with local councillors and residents directly affected by the proposed works, as well as with the wider community.

The consultations received an excellent response from local people and around 150 people attended the last consultation event, which took place on 3 February 2016 at Exmouth Town Hall.

It is intended that the project will involve works in three main areas of Exmouth:

  • (Area A) North of Imperial Recreation ground up to Withycombe Brook. The aim in Area A is to prevent overtopping of the existing Estuaryside, which could lead to flooding inland at The Colony. It is proposed to raise the ground level of existing greenspace where possible and, where space is more constrained, to add a wall up to around waist height along the estuary.
  • (Area B) The South side of Imperial Recreation Ground around Camperdown Creek to the Exe Sailing Club. In Area B, similarly, the council would like to raise defenses to improve protection to properties locally and low lying areas inland. There are a number of options here, including ramps and gates across roads and slipways, a wall around the estuary itself or a barrage across Camperdown Creek.
  • (Area C) Along the Esplanade from Mamhead slipway to outside of the Clock Tower. A positive response was received at the consultation event to a proposal to create a secondary defense on the landward side of the road using walls and gates to contain waves overtopping the existing sea wall.