Background to the scheme

The Rother Tidal Walls East Scheme is one of a number of schemes that together form the Folkestone to Cliff End Strategy (FoCES). FoCES sets out our plans to manage coastal flood and erosion risk to the low-lying Romney Marsh area over the next 100 years, taking into account the predicted impacts of climate change.

Much of Romney Marsh is around 1-2 metres below high spring tide levels. If nothing is done to protect this coastline, 14,500 homes would be at risk of flooding, along with 700 businesses and nationally important critical infrastructure, military sites and environmental designations. The existing coastal defences are reaching the end of their design life, with many of them having been in place since the early 20th Century. Ongoing maintenance of these defences is becoming increasingly expensive and problematic, so improvements are required now to reduce flood risk in the long term. In some locations, there is currently a 5% (1 in 20) chance in any given year of the existing defences being exceeded on Romney Marsh. We aim to reduce this risk to 0.5% (1 in 200) for the next 100 years.


Several flood defence schemes around Romney Marsh have already been completed at a value of £130 million. These include:

  • New defences on the western bank of the tidal River Rother in 2007.
  • New seawall and rock revetment at Dymchurch were completed in 2011.
  • A 0.7km wide groyne field with shingle and a 1.8km long rock revetment at Broomhill Sands in 2016.
  • A 3km groyne field, beach recharge and a rock revetment at Hythe Ranges in 2021.

Work started on the Lydd Ranges Sea Defences Scheme in July 2021 and on the Rother Tidal Walls East Scheme in Summer 2022.



The Rother Tidal Walls East Scheme is one of a number of schemes that together form the Folkestone to Cliff End Strategy (FoCES). FoCES sets out our plans to manage coastal flood and erosion risk to the low-lying Romney Marsh area over the next 100 years, taking into account the predicted impacts of climate change.

Much of Romney Marsh is around 1-2 metres below high spring tide levels. If nothing is done to protect this coastline, 14,500 homes would be at risk of flooding, along with 700 businesses and nationally important critical infrastructure, military sites and environmental designations. The existing coastal defences are reaching the end of their design life, with many of them having been in place since the early 20th Century. Ongoing maintenance of these defences is becoming increasingly expensive and problematic, so improvements are required now to reduce flood risk in the long term. In some locations, there is currently a 5% (1 in 20) chance in any given year of the existing defences being exceeded on Romney Marsh. We aim to reduce this risk to 0.5% (1 in 200) for the next 100 years.


Several flood defence schemes around Romney Marsh have already been completed at a value of £130 million. These include:

  • New defences on the western bank of the tidal River Rother in 2007.
  • New seawall and rock revetment at Dymchurch were completed in 2011.
  • A 0.7km wide groyne field with shingle and a 1.8km long rock revetment at Broomhill Sands in 2016.
  • A 3km groyne field, beach recharge and a rock revetment at Hythe Ranges in 2021.

Work started on the Lydd Ranges Sea Defences Scheme in July 2021 and on the Rother Tidal Walls East Scheme in Summer 2022.



Page last updated: 02 Feb 2023, 03:01 PM