East Suffolk Council
Ground-breaking marks start of construction of vital flood protection
Building works starts on the tidal flood walls, heralding a significant step towards a brighter future for Lowestoft’s communities and businesses.
On Friday 21 May, Peter Aldous MP for Waveney and other key project partners will formally break ground in Hamilton Road, Lowestoft, marking the first phase of construction, which will see tidal flood walls and a tidal barrier offering essential flood protection to 1500 homes and 825 businesses.
Cllr David Ritchie, Cabinet Member for Planning and Coastal Management at East Suffolk Council and Chair of the Project Board said: “The Lowestoft sea walls will form a key part of the regeneration of our most easterly town. Lowestoft has proven that it is worth investing in and we have seen that confirmed by the recent funding awards, including the £43m awarded to the Lowestoft Flood Risk Management Project by the Government in July 2020 as part of the Green Recovery Fund. This was the largest single award to any scheme in the country and part of a £170m pot for national flood protection projects.
“The sea walls will pave the way for the new tidal barrier, and they will incorporate glass flood walls, which will include words and artwork designed by local children to maintain the town’s important connection to the sea. We are delighted to mark the start of construction.”
The project is funded through a combination of funding from the Government’s Green Recovery Fund, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal, Flood Defence Grant in Aid, Local Levy and contributions from Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council.
C-J Green, Chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership said: “This work is of vital importance to Lowestoft, protecting businesses, homes and infrastructure from the kind of flooding we saw in 2013. Businesses need certainty to be able to grow and flourish and this scheme will help provide that, making sure employment and development sites around the town are protected long into the future.
“There is significant investment coming into Lowestoft – through the Towns Fund, Heritage Action Zones and local funds – and it is great to see this important work getting started. It will help to secure the future of all of those investments too and deliver ongoing economic growth for the town.”
Cllr Ritchie said: “We must of course thank the many colleagues, organisations, partners, businesses and community members that have supported the development of the Lowestoft Flood Risk Management Project. The current COVID-19 restrictions means that we are unable to celebrate the ground-breaking as widely as we would like, so we have arranged to live stream the event and would invite as many people as possible to join us virtually.