West London Communities project

The 'West London Communities Project' (WLCP) is currently an early-stage study focused on understanding future flood risks to properties and critical infrastructure in locations between Richmond and Sunbury, including Twickenham, Teddington and Kingston.

We are working with residents, local authorities and other partners to identify and implement measures that will increase resilience to flooding from 2035 onwards.


Flood risk on the Thames will increase due to climate change, with more intense rainfall, more frequent storms, and rising sea levels along the Thames Estuary. This means we will have to respond by adapting the flood defence system, this includes changing when we close the Thames Barrier.


The Project has carried out computer modelling to assess how these changes will affect flood risk when high river levels coincide with high tides in West London.

The findings show that water levels in the River Thames will rise over time, especially affecting areas like Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, and Kingston.

The extent of flooding will vary by location, with downstream areas facing the greatest impact during frequent river floods. The technical report in the information section of this page, tells you in detail which areas will be affected, and by how much.


We have created a simplified summary of the modelling results, to make the technical data more accessible. This is also available in the information section.

We recommend reading the summary before reviewing the full technical report. It includes explanations to help you understand what the data shows about future flood risks in your area.

We are currently using the new flood risk modelling to investigate the types of mitigation options that could be suitable for different communities in the study area. We will be engaging with communities in 2026 to better understand your needs and requirements which could influence future flood resilience options.


Why are we doing this?

The predicted changes to flood risk, are putting pressure on the Thames Barrier and its system of flood defences, which plays a crucial role in protecting London.

To keep London protected, we are adapting how the Thames Barrier operates, so it can continue to protect 1.4 million people and 460,000 properties. We will still be able to use the Thames Barrier to protect against tidal surges, but not to reduce river levels further upstream beyond Teddington.

These changes are outlined in the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan – our strategy for managing future tidal flood risk in London and the Thames Estuary.


What can you do today?

There are things we can all do today to prepare ourselves for the increased flood risks expected in the future. Essential first steps include:

  1. checking your flood risk
  1. signing up for flood warnings
  1. making a flood plan


How we will use this page

This page has been created to provide communities, businesses and other stakeholders with a space to engage with us on this topic.

We will provide detail about the study, including the information that is informing our decisions and actions. We will also share updates throughout these early stages.

We are sharing information, including the modelling report, our summary of that report and other useful content.

We will provide different ways to engage with the project as we reach future milestones in our study. The milestones tab on the shows when to expect those updates.

We've provided some FAQ, images, and other associated resources, to help you understand what we are doing, and also how you can protect yourself and your property from risk of flooding.

We are keen to hear what else you might like to see on this page, and will be offering future opportunities to engage with us on specific topics.


How you can engage with the study

  • Please register to the site and subscribe to this page to participate in future engagement and be added to our mail list to receive notifications of significant updates. Please do come back and check the news feed as we will use that to provide you updates through the year.
  • Check the report to see how your flood risk may be changing where you live or work.

The 'West London Communities Project' (WLCP) is currently an early-stage study focused on understanding future flood risks to properties and critical infrastructure in locations between Richmond and Sunbury, including Twickenham, Teddington and Kingston.

We are working with residents, local authorities and other partners to identify and implement measures that will increase resilience to flooding from 2035 onwards.


Flood risk on the Thames will increase due to climate change, with more intense rainfall, more frequent storms, and rising sea levels along the Thames Estuary. This means we will have to respond by adapting the flood defence system, this includes changing when we close the Thames Barrier.


The Project has carried out computer modelling to assess how these changes will affect flood risk when high river levels coincide with high tides in West London.

The findings show that water levels in the River Thames will rise over time, especially affecting areas like Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, and Kingston.

The extent of flooding will vary by location, with downstream areas facing the greatest impact during frequent river floods. The technical report in the information section of this page, tells you in detail which areas will be affected, and by how much.


We have created a simplified summary of the modelling results, to make the technical data more accessible. This is also available in the information section.

We recommend reading the summary before reviewing the full technical report. It includes explanations to help you understand what the data shows about future flood risks in your area.

We are currently using the new flood risk modelling to investigate the types of mitigation options that could be suitable for different communities in the study area. We will be engaging with communities in 2026 to better understand your needs and requirements which could influence future flood resilience options.


Why are we doing this?

The predicted changes to flood risk, are putting pressure on the Thames Barrier and its system of flood defences, which plays a crucial role in protecting London.

To keep London protected, we are adapting how the Thames Barrier operates, so it can continue to protect 1.4 million people and 460,000 properties. We will still be able to use the Thames Barrier to protect against tidal surges, but not to reduce river levels further upstream beyond Teddington.

These changes are outlined in the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan – our strategy for managing future tidal flood risk in London and the Thames Estuary.


What can you do today?

There are things we can all do today to prepare ourselves for the increased flood risks expected in the future. Essential first steps include:

  1. checking your flood risk
  1. signing up for flood warnings
  1. making a flood plan


How we will use this page

This page has been created to provide communities, businesses and other stakeholders with a space to engage with us on this topic.

We will provide detail about the study, including the information that is informing our decisions and actions. We will also share updates throughout these early stages.

We are sharing information, including the modelling report, our summary of that report and other useful content.

We will provide different ways to engage with the project as we reach future milestones in our study. The milestones tab on the shows when to expect those updates.

We've provided some FAQ, images, and other associated resources, to help you understand what we are doing, and also how you can protect yourself and your property from risk of flooding.

We are keen to hear what else you might like to see on this page, and will be offering future opportunities to engage with us on specific topics.


How you can engage with the study

  • Please register to the site and subscribe to this page to participate in future engagement and be added to our mail list to receive notifications of significant updates. Please do come back and check the news feed as we will use that to provide you updates through the year.
  • Check the report to see how your flood risk may be changing where you live or work.

  • Update from the project team

    We have encountered some delays in finalising the engagement material and to avoid starting the public engagement in August, during peak holiday period, we will begin the public engagement in September. This will help ensure more people have the opportunity to take part. We plan for the engagement to run for 8 weeks. This will primarily be online via our Engagement HQ website but we also plan to hold some face to face sessions as this may work better for some residents and improve the engagement.

    We have encountered some delays in finalising the engagement material and to avoid starting the public engagement in August, during peak holiday period, we will begin the public engagement in September. This will help ensure more people have the opportunity to take part. We plan for the engagement to run for 8 weeks. This will primarily be online via our Engagement HQ website but we also plan to hold some face to face sessions as this may work better for some residents and improve the engagement.

Page last updated: 12 Aug 2026, 11:11 AM