Final consultation event for Looe Flood Defence and Regeneration scheme

Our third and final public consultation event for the Looe Flood Defence and Regeneration Scheme will take place at the Quayside Centre in West Looe between 10 am and 4pm on Friday, 14 July.

This is the last opportunity for people to have their say and to speak to the project team prior to the submission of the Outline Business Case to central government in the Autumn.

The unique geographic features of Looe already make the town vulnerable to flood events. Sea levels are projected to rise more rapidly due to climate change, increasing the extent, depth, and frequency of flood events.

Six options have been considered in detail as part of the development of the scheme. These are:

• Adaptation of the town/community
• Demountable Barriers
• Permanent Flood Walls
• Quayside Extension
• Tidal Barrier Only
• Tidal Barrier with Breakwaters

Detailed information about all the options, including the potential benefits, challenges and costs of delivering them, together with artists impressions, is available on the scheme’s Let’s Talk site https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/looe-flood-defence

The site also includes background information and short films about the history of flooding in Looe, the environmental work which has been carried out for the project up to this date, providing a summary of some areas of interest, and the importance of the scheme to the economy of both the town and the wider South East Cornwall area, as well as outlining some early mitigation ideas.

There is no preferred option for the scheme – we want to hear the views of the local community on which option they feel will best protect the town from avoidable flooding events for decades to come.

This is a very important moment, both for the Looe Flood Defence and Regeneration scheme and for the long-term future of Looe. The support of local residents and businesses is vital to the success of the scheme.

We want to ensure that the project’s decisions reflect the aspirations and the needs of the local community and are hoping that as many people as possible will come along to this final consultation event and complete the survey.

Anyone who is unable to attend the consultation on 14 July can complete the survey online at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Looe2023.

The deadline for comments is 21 July.

The feedback from the consultation events and the online survey will then be used to finalise the Outline Business Case which will be submitted to the Government.

Ends

Notes to editors

Looe already has an unwelcome history of flooding. During the fortnightly spring tides, the sea routinely reaches up high against the quayside walls. When a storm occurs at the same time, the water comes over the quay wall and floods the surrounding areas. Environment Agency records show that currently the centre of the town typically floods several times a year, putting more than 200 properties at risk.

The impact of climate change, with sea levels expected to rise by over one metre during the next 100 years, means that in less than 50 years most of the town will flood more often and to a greater depth, with sandbags and flood boards becoming less effective.

This will see key areas such as the health centre, the police and fire stations, the main food stores and cafes and the fish market, the main roads, the Harbour and Millpool car parks and the railway line flooded on storm and high tide days.

The aims of the proposed Flood Defence and Regeneration Scheme are to:

• Protect Looe from frequent and severe flooding and damage over the next 50 – 100 years, giving the community time to adapt to a changing climate
• Enhance the environmental integrity of the designated sites and water bodies
• Work to promote economic growth in East Cornwall by
  1. Protecting key transport links
  2. Protecting and enhancing the visitor and marine economy

All the potential options have been assessed against a range of technical, economic and environmental criteria. These include:

• the costs of building and operating the scheme
• the effectiveness in protecting the town from the risks of tidal, river, groundwater and surface water flooding
• potential challenges in constructing and operating the flood defences
• impact on both the marine and terrestrial environments, landscape and seascape and carbon emissions
• Navigation issues
• Impact on heritage and amenities
• Economic benefits