Your view matters!
Today the River Thames Scheme (RTS) launches a communications campaign called Your View Matters to support Statutory Consultation.
Statutory Consultation is a six-week period where in-person and virtual events take place from 12.00am on Monday 22 January 2024 to 11.59pm on Monday 4 March.
The scheme uses this period to formally consult with local communities and key stakeholders, to ensure the final project design is informed and influenced by those who live, work, and use the area.
We are keen to ensure all those who have an interest in sharing their views on the final design for the RTS, know where, when and how to take part.
Ongoing engagement across our scheme area has seen us link in with as many communities as possible to date, to highlight the scheme and the benefits it will bring.
A lot of feedback was also gathered at the non-statutory consultation at the end of 2022.
To build on that work, our eye-catching campaign is designed to ensure we are talking to our communities in various arenas; social media, on adshels, on the radio and at pop-up events, as well as cascading posters to sign-post to raise awareness of Statutory Consultation and where to find more information.
All this while aligning to the scheme's goals:
- Minimise flooding impact.
- Enhance green spaces, wildlife interaction and sustainable travel.
- Enhance habitats and boost biodiversity.
- Promote sustainable economic growth for all.
- Support carbon-reduction goals set by the EA, SCC and partners.
What makes this an exciting milestone for the RTS is that we can now see the scheme being brought to life. There is enough design development to showcase the look and feel of the overall realisation of the scheme; the green infrastructure, and it is this that has formed the basis of our communications campaign.
As a landscape-based approach, the River Thames Scheme delivers both blue and green infrastructure. The scheme covers part of the largest area of undefended, developed floodplain in England and communities in the area have suffered major floods in the past. With the increase of wetter and warmer weather, the risk of flooding is likely to become a more frequent occurrence. Detailed work on the current RTS started just over a decade ago. The scheme is being developed in partnership with the Environment Agency (EA) and Surrey County Council (SCC) along with local boroughs.
Wherever possible the aim is for the two sections of the channel, to look as much like the natural landscape, to provide better access to green space and to deliver a more sustainable travel network with additional bridges in scope of the design, to link both sides of the river.
The stretch of river and the floodplain between Egham and Teddington offers miles of open-space opportunity, but it is currently constrained by flood risk, lack of access and poor-quality natural habitats, overcoming which requires investment.
For the green infrastructure element of the scheme, the current proposals include:
- Visually connected green spaces and open spaces with significantly raised landforms to provide for new visual connections across the breadth of the RTS.
- Active recreation, green open spaces for intensive active recreation and sports, seeking to attract visitors from a wide area.
- A commuter and recreation route for cyclists, pedestrians, and other wheeled mobility users, linking communities and the new green open spaces.
- Enhanced ecological value, ecological benefits for wildlife and habitats, with relatively restricted access opportunities.
Jeanne Capey, Project Director for the River Thames Scheme, said 'The Communications Campaign is an ideal opportunity to showcase the vision of the scheme, a goal that has been achieved because of the accumulation of expertise, knowledge and skills of a diverse range of professionals. We hope this vision of the future to support reducing flood risk - by creating more biodiversity in the area while also increasing opportunities for more connections both sides of the river via paths, cycle ways and new bridges and enhancing recreation - will leave a legacy for generations to come.'
Jeanne went on to say: 'The artist's impressions really bring to life the benefits the scheme will have for those who live, work and use the area. I hope that by giving people this exciting vision of the future, we will also stimulate more questions and discussion at our Statutory Consultation events and encourage more people to feedback and share their views on the scheme.'
Why is Statutory Consultation so important?
Statutory Consultation is an important stage of projects such as the River Thames Scheme.
Statutory Consultation gives local communities and key stakeholders the opportunity to ensure the final project design is informed and influenced by those who live, work, and use the area. This feedback will be considered alongside engineering parameters, costs, policy, and environmental factors, which stem from the scheme's goals. The scheme is led in partnership by the Environment Agency and Surrey Council supported by local borough councils.
Where do I get information on the RTS Statutory Consultation?
- We have in-person and virtual events happening from late January and throughout the month of February.
- You can come and view documents including maps of the scheme plans, there are also pop-up banner display, a walk-through of the detail of the design of the scheme to date.
- In addition to our events, you can pick up consultation brochures at various pick-up points.
- Our information pick-up points also will have on display the non-technical summaries of the Preliminary Environment Information Report (PEIR), flood modelling report, other environmental documents and map books. All available for inspection free of charge.
Are you interested in having you say? Find out more on our dedicated consultation page.
