09/02/2006 - The community
of the pretty East Devon village of Lympstone
is taking a hands-on role in its new £900,000
tidal defence scheme. Now the Environment
Agency project is complete, a team of eight
volunteers, led by the parish council, makes
sure the seven special floodgates are closed
when the village is threatened by high tides.
Work started last May on the scheme, which
was constructed by contractors Mowlem Civil
Engineering.
As well as the new metal floodgates in
the network of passageways to the beach
there are slipways near the sailing club
and on the Green. Other improvements include
a new wall in front of Harefield Cottages
and Peters Tower and reinforcements to the
stone groyne on the foreshore at the far
end of Quay Lane.
125 properties including 36 listed buildings,
doctors’ surgery, chapel and eight local
businesses now have a higher level of protection
from tidal flooding. Previously a series
of
ad-hoc wooden stop boards helped prevent
serious problems although the storms in
October 2004 were a very close call for
some.
‘It was always very important for us to
maintain the unique character of Lympstone
yet provide the necessary tidal defences
for homes and businesses in the low lying
parts of the village,’ said Adrian Rushworth
for the Environment Agency.
‘The special agreement with the parish
council to provide volunteer gate closers
has ensured the floodgates are being closed
promptly when forecast tide and wind conditions
are likely to cause flooding. Having local
people operate the gates means they are
also opening them as quickly as possible
when the conditions have improved.’
The Environment Agency sends an automatic
telephone message to the gate closers to
close the gates and another to open them.
The floodgates are linked by telemetry to
the Agency’s offices so it can easily check
that they are closed in time. The gates
have been closed several times against high
tides this year.
A ceremony to mark the completion of the
tidal defence scheme will be held in the
village in the next few months. Details
to follow.
The Lympstone tidal defences were designed
by consultants Atkins and developed in
co-operation with Lympstone Parish Council.
The work was funded by Defra through the
Environment Agency.
