Overview
The consultation ended on 5th February 2018
The Environment Agency opened a public consultation on 6th November 2017 on the Medway Estuary and Swale Strategy (MEASS). They intend to use the responses to inform their preferred management options and help shape the strategy.
The consultation gave the public the opportunity to discuss the draft preferred options proposed in the strategy report with the Environment Agency. Communities were given the opportunity to view information, look at the final options, ask questions and provide valuable input to the project team.
The Environment Agency developed the Medway Estuary and Swale Strategy (MEASS) to manage the risks from flood and coastal erosion over the next 100 years.
The Strategy will cover the Medway Estuary, Medway Towns to Stoke, Sittingbourne, Conyer, Faversham, and the Isle of Sheppey.
MEASS reviewed the policies that were set out in the 2010 Medway and Swale Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) and the 2010 Isle of Grain and South Foreland Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). These plans conclude that a combination of Hold the Line, and Managed Realignment options should be implemented to help protect the community from coastal flooding and erosion over the next 100 years.
Flooding is a risk currently facing communities and landowners in the low-lying areas around Swale and the Medway Estuary. Due to ageing flood defences, rising sea levels and climate change, this will increase in the next 100 years with approximately 18,000 properties, over 10,000 hectares of agricultural land and key infrastructure at an increased risk of tidal flooding.
The Environment Agency has already carried out a consultation with key stakeholders including local authorities and parish councils, ahead of upcoming landowner and public consultations.
The project team developed leading options for each section of the strategy area. These have been based on economic, technical, and environmental appraisals.
Benefit Area 4 - Medway Marshes
Benefit Area 4 covers the Medway Marshes from the east of Gillingham through to the Sheppey Crossing. The area is mainly a rural and agricultural area, with localised residential and industrial areas at Upchurch and Lower Halstow. In BA4.2a there is a Southern Water Sewage Works. In BA4.7 (Chetney Marshes) there is a cable terminal at the northern end, and the electricity pylons run through the centre of the Marsh. There are a variety of defences in the Benefit Area including embankments and seawalls. The current minimum SoP of the defences is for a 50% AEP event, and the defences have an average residual life of 10 - 25 years. The main risk in the area is from coastal flooding, but there is a risk of erosion in BA4.6.
• Cable terminal in BA4.7
• Natural England Coastal Path (Saxon Shore Way)
• Agricultural Land
• Sewage works at Motney Hill (BA4.2a)
• Riverside Country Park
• Industrial area at Otterham Quay
• Residential and business properties
Public consultation
The public consultation ended on 5th February 2018 and a summary of the consultation responses has now been published online at the link here ☞ Summary of consultation responses
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