A civil contractor has been appointed by the Environment Agency to look after Thames flood defences for the next decade.
The agency has given the 10-year deal to Balfour Beatty to run the Thames Estuary Asset Management programme worth £250 million.
It includes capital investment works to the tidal flood defences along the 110-mile stretch of estuary.
“We are bringing significant expertise in flood defence to protect one of the world’s greatest cities from the sea,” Balfour Beatty Group’s chief executive Leo Quinn said. “We offer long-term, skilled opportunities to the next generation of civil engineers.”
The programme aims to protect 1,250,000 people as well as property, infrastructure and businesses valued at £200 billion across east London, Essex and Kent.
The work involves creating tidal walls and embankments, refurbishing existing works such as major flood barriers, as well as new works like pumping stations, capital renewals and replacements.
Repairs also take in flood defence walls or fixing subsidence of earth embankments. Individual projects worth up to £10m in the programme are expected to be dished out from October.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here