IS THE Environment Agency capable of learning from its mistakes?

You have only to look at the flagship Jubilee River (nothing to celebrate here) flood alleviation scheme, pictured right, in order to assess whether any new flood defence projects are likely to work.

The £110m world-class, award winning Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme was designed to reduce the risk of flooding in those towns. The primary objective was achieved but flood water is now dumped on to undefended villages downstream and we were flooded twice in early 2014.

Flawed hydraulic models, capacity shortfall, sub-standard design and construction, £5m in repairs, an out-of-court settlement, mis-operation and still nobody accountable.

The warnings from the 1992 Inquiry were ignored and the recommendations from the 2003 flood inquiry were not incorporated.

So we now have the Lower Thames Scheme being developed – the biggest, most complex and most expensive English fluvial scheme ever.

Three new parallel channels, one channel widening and some weir improvements – £302m at 2009 prices.

In fact this will be a £1bn scheme if it gets completed by 2025. I sincerely believe the Environment Agency lacks engineering expertise.

EWAN LARCOMBE
Lawn Close, Datchet, Berks