How the Thames Valley Flood Scheme works with other schemes
Managing flooding in the Thames Valley
Over the years, the number of properties and businesses within the Thames Valley has grown significantly. Many of these have been built near rivers and in areas at risk of flooding, especially before the 1990s, when planning regulations were improved to take better account of flood risk.
Thames Valley Flood Scheme has been looking to complement existing and planned flood schemes, as shown on the maps below.
Existing local flood schemes
The Environment Agency, councils, water companies and others have done much to manage flood risk in the Thames Valley over the last 50 years. Nowadays, people in the Thames Valley are better protected by flood defences than ever before. For example, we have built large flood alleviation schemes at Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton, Banbury, and Marlow. You can see the location of these and other flood alleviation schemes on the map below. Where appropriate we carry out watercourse maintenance and use temporary flood barriers to reduce the risk. We also reduce flood damages by warning and informing residents and businesses of the risk.
Planned local flood schemes
The Environment Agency and partners are working on new flood alleviation schemes in the Thames Valley. These are shown as orange dots and labelled with letters on the map below. They include the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme and the River Thames Scheme in the lower Thames. These will provide much needed reductions in flood risk in these areas.
Click on the links below to view the other project's webpages and find out more about them.
A: Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme(External link)
B: Great Shefford Flood Alleviation Scheme(External link)
C: Datchet to Hythe End Flood Improvements(External link)
D: River Thames Scheme(External link) (spans between these two locations)
E: Lower Mole Flood Alleviation Scheme(External link)
F: Sanway Byfleet Flood Alleviation Scheme(External link)
G: Fleet Flood Alleviation Scheme(External link)
H: Guildford Flood Alleviation Scheme(External link)
Responding to flooding
The Environment Agency’s forecasting, warning and informing arrangements are the best they have ever been allowing us to respond to flooding when it does occur. When we respond to flooding, we do not do it alone; we work in partnership with local authorities, fire and rescue services, police, water companies, the military and others. We plan, prepare and response together in partnerships known as Local Resilience Forums to provide a joined-up response using our combined capabilities, resources and expertise. Check if your area is at risk and learn how to prepare for flooding using our Environment Agency tool.(External link)