Maintenance
Maintenance projects
In December 2024, we completed Emergency Works to fill a scour hole that had developed in the bank of the channel downstream of Mill Lane Bridge, Taplow. We filled the hole and stabilised the bank with tonne bags of rock and sand lowered into place by helicopter.
Final work to the scour hole will be completed in 2027.
The Jubilee relief channel can continue to be operated at full capacity when required
- The design uses the best materials for the repair. This is likely to be a geotextile layer, with large rocks known as rip rap or rock armour laid over the top. Rip rap is commonly used in coastal defences and riverbanks as it prevents erosion and scouring. There will be finer material laid over the rip rap, with a top layer of soil, seeded to give a natural appearance.
- The rocks will be below the water line. Above the water line will be vegetation, as it is currently.
- We aim to re-use original materials in the channel and the tonne bags used for the temporary repair.
- It is likely that we will be draining the channel in this section to give us the safest and most efficient way to carry out the work. Water from the channel upstream of Taplow Weir will be siphoned or flumed through a pipe to downstream of Marsh Lane Weir to ensure that the rest of the Jubilee is not adversely impacted. Our aim is to avoid using a pump that would be noisy for residents.
- We will ensure our work does not impact the biodiversity and natural habitat in and around the channel
Taplow and Marsh Lane weirs mechanical and electrical refurbishment 2025 to 2026
This project consists of mechanical and electrical refurbishment works to the 3 weir gates at Taplow Weir and 2 gates at Marsh Lane Weir. This work is part of our planned preventative maintenance programme. Work at Marsh Lane weir is complete and will continue at Taplow Weir until June 2026.
Is it important to stress that the Jubilee will be used to full operating capacity to reduce flooding in the Maidenhead Windsor and Eton areas when required.
To ensure that as little disturbance is caused as possible, our contractors Fairfields are working between 07:30 and 18:30, Monday to Friday. Temporary welfare cabins are on Mill Lane Bridge, away from houses and securely fenced off. Deliveries to site are avoided during peak pedestrian times.
Update May 2026: Bank Repairs to Jubilee Flood Relief Channel downstream of Mill Lane Bridge, Taplow
Taplow weir, viewed from upstream. September 2025 Summary
Latest
We aim to carry out repair work to the Jubilee at Taplow in Spring 2027. Starting in the spring gives us enough time to complete work in the drier season.
Surveys and modelling of the channel to understand the cause of the scour hole shows there are other areas close to the scour hole that need repairing. Although these additional repairs are not urgent, we must consider achieving the best value for money whilst on site. This work will mean we won’t need to return to carry out further repairs in the coming years. We must ensure that the Jubilee remains resilient to the challenges posed by climate change meaning an increased use of the channel.
Plan for the repairs
The Jubilee can still be used if needed
When repair work is taking place, we will still be able to operate the Jubilee if needed. In the event of forecast severe weather and rising levels on the River Thames, operatives and plant equipment on site would be removed.
Until the repairs are carried out, the Jubilee can be used to full capacity if required, to continue to reduce the risk of flooding from the River Thames to approximately 3,000 homes and businesses in the area. The temporary repairs that were carried out will be stable when the Jubilee is in operation because the flow velocity is lower than the stability rating of the rock bags. We are therefore confident that there is a low likelihood of further erosion around the existing scour hole, even if the Jubilee is used to full capacity.
Taplow Weir improvements completed in 2023
As the Jubilee Flood Relief Channel approached its 21st year of service in 2023, the Environment Agency spent about £1m to install a stop log lifting beam at Taplow Weir on the Jubilee. This is a large metal structure that bridges the channel (pictured below). It allows for lowering and raising of stoplogs – horizontal steel barriers used to hold back the flow of water, which then allows testing and maintenance of the weir’s sluice gates.
The stoplogs are stacked up between metal slots on either side of the channel to create a single barrier. Previously, a large crane had to be brought onto site whenever the stoplogs needed to be used. The works provide improved access to the sluice gates, as well as making it easier to lower and raise the stoplogs. Installing the lifting beam place over 3 months during the winter of 2023, with the Environment Agency’s contractors working only when the Jubilee was not operating as a flood relief channel. These works formed part of the Environment Agency’s annual maintenance programme that ensures its flood defence assets remain in good working order.