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Burstow visits the Barrier
March 26, 2007 12:00 AM
Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, visited the Thames Barrier last week, to find out more about how it protects London from the adverse effects of unseasonal weather and tidal surges. Mr Burstow's visit came only two days after the barrier had been raised for the 100th time since it was completed in 1982 and came during a period of 4 consecutive days when the barrier was in use.
The visit came after Mr Burstow wrote the Environment Agency - which manages the barrier - asking for information about the projected future usage of the barrier and costs to keep it going. Mr Burstow was briefed on the operation of the barrier and given a tour of the facilities.
The Thames Barrier is part of a network of barriers, flood plains and walls which together protect 400,000 properties in a 45 square mile area of London. The area it protects contains assets worth more than £80 billion. It is predicted that flooding of the area would affect the lives of 1.25 million people who either live or work in central London.
The barrier is built to counteract the effects of a storm surge, caused when low pressure 'sucks' sea water upwards, raising the sea level by anything up to a couple of feet. When the barrier was built, designers estimated that sea level would rise by 8% a year, relative to land. Designers predicted that on this basis, the barrier could withstand a 1 in 1000 year surge until the year 2030. After 2030, the barrier will continue to afford protection, though the level of protection will gradually decline as we approach the 22nd Century.
Scientists and engineers from the Environment Agency are currently working on the 'Thames Estuary 2100' project, to come up with solutions to protect London and the surrounding area into the next century.
Speaking after his visit, Paul Burstow MP said:
"Visiting the barrier was a fascinating experience - the scale and complexity of it is astonishing."
"It was sobering to think that had the Barrier not been operational during my visit the river would have been lapping over the river walls in Central London and flooding everywhere from the City of London to the House of Parliament"
"This was an excellent opportunity to learn more about our preparedness for the effects of climate change and our capitals readiness to meet future flooding threats."
"I was pleased to see that a great deal of work is being done on how to protect the capital in the years and decades to come."
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