Jaywick: Flood risk to development

10:00pm Thursday 20th November 2008

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Millions of pounds will have to spent on protecting Jaywick from flooding before new developments are considered, a report has revealed.

Tendring Council commissioned JBA Consulting to undertake a strategic flood risk study for the resort in August 2007.

The 80-page report was published yesterday.

It reveals Jaywick is well-protected against flooding but the risks of an occurrence will increase from one in 200 years to one in eight years due to rising sea levels over the next 50 to 75 years.

Government guidance says land that is in a high flood risk area like Jaywick shoud not be considered for new development unless it passes an “exception test”.

Land would have to be raised, which could cost more than £3.2 million, sea defences bolstered and emergency access improved.

The alternative would be for new developments to take place elsewhere.

The Jaywick Strategic Leadership Group, led by Essex County Council and Tendring Council, said it will use the findings to put a case to Government for funds to support Jaywick while dealing with the implications of climate change.

A statement said: “Today the Jaywick Strategic Leadership Group restated its commitment to working in full consultation with residents on the regeneration of this unique neighbourhood and to supporting them in meeting both the short-term and long-term challenges they face.”

Iris Johnson, Tendring Council’s planning portfolio holder, has released a statement on the study.

She said: “New development will have to be part of a wider more sustainable plan to regenerate the area and individual or ‘pepper–potted’ development of homes will be extremely difficult to achieve.

“To comply with Government guidance on flood risk, new development can now only take place if it can be shown that the wider benefits to the community as a whole outweigh the risk, that the new development cannot be located elsewhere, that it will be safe and (where possible) that it will reduce the risk of flooding elsewhere.

“All development proposals will therefore need to be supported by a more detailed and specific flood risk study which specifically deals with the issues identified in the strategic flood risk study.”