On Friday 22nd July, Suella visited the village of Wallington to see the vital flood alleviation measures implemented to protect residents who are at risk of flooding. This visit was organised by the Environment Agency and was attended by key representatives involved in making this scheme possible. This included: Simon Moody, Area Director for Solent & South Downs Area, the Wallington Village Association and Hampshire County Council (HCC). During the meeting Simon Moody explained that Wallington is under serious threat of flooding. However, thanks to the Wallington Flood Alleviation Scheme, the risk of flooding has been significantly reduced.
Wallington Village is at risk of flooding from the River Wallington and the sea. There have been notable flood events in 2000, 2002 and 2012. Recognising this threat, the Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council and Wallington Village Community Association came together to implement the Wallington Flood Alleviation Scheme. After many years of collaboration, the flood alleviation scheme was finally completed in 2019, with a total investment value of £630,000. As a result, 36 homes and 2 businesses are better protected from the risk of flooding.
Suella was pleased to see the local community coming together to protect their village. Through their extensive local knowledge, Wallington Village Association contributed significantly to this remarkable project. Suella was highly impressed by this successful example of ground-up collaboration. All three organisations provided valuable inputs accredited to the completion of this project. HCC contributed to the scheme by designing, building, and paying for the installation of a road hump to provide protection against tidal inundation along Wallington Shore Road. Wallington Village Community Association constructed an earth bund between the road hump on Wallington Shore Road and the flood wall to provide protection against tidal inundation. The Environment Agency played a key role in assessing areas of threat and providing valuable assistance at all stages of the project.
Though the risk of flooding has been significantly reduced, Simon Moody suggested that there remain areas of concern. Suella took confidence in Simon’s assurance that the EA will continue to monitor threat levels and are considering further flood alleviation measures.
Commenting, Suella said:
“It was wonderful to see the excellent community spirit today in the village of Wallington. I had the pleasure of meeting with the Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council and the Wallington Village Association to see their fantastic collaborative efforts. Over the last few years, they have come together to build a variety of impressive flood alleviation measures. Thanks to their highly skilled operations and a total investment of £630,000, businesses and residents of Wallington are significantly better protected from the risk of flooding.”
