Lower Thames flood alleviation scheme needs £50m

Princes William and Harry helped out in Datchet during the floods in February 2014, which was one of the worst hit towns in the UK

Up to £50m is still needed to fund a flood alleviation scheme on the lower part of the River Thames, the Environment Agency has said.

The news comes as frustrated Berkshire residents hit by the 2014 floods say "not a lot has happened" so far to stop the river from overflowing again.

The section from Datchet in Berkshire to Teddington in London needs £300m for a flood channel and weir improvements.

The Environment Agency said a lot of work had been done since last year.

Scheme 'progressing well'

East Berkshire was one of the areas worst hit in the UK by the flooding in February 2014.

The scheme covers Datchet in east Berkshire to Teddington in south west London

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead councillor for Wraysbury, Colin Rayner, said in 18 months "not a lot has happened apart from lots of talk, paperwork and lots of schemes".

He said: "I believe not one bit of the River Thames has been dredged since the floods, and no improvements made to the weirs.

"My fear is that we might be in the same place again if we have heavy rains again."

David Murphy, who heads up the flood alleviation project at the Environment Agency, said the scheme was actually "progressing really well".

He said, as well as repairing all the affected flood defences, the agency had "carried out site and ground investigation works along the proposed route of the flood channel".

He said funding had been found for the first phase of the scheme, which looks at development and design of the flood channel.

But he added that another "£45m to £50m" was needed for the construction phase of the scheme.

"We're looking at a number of sources from European funds to local levies," he said.

The River Thames scheme includes work to construct a flood channel and improve three of the existing Thames weirs.

Construction of the flood channel is expected to start in 2020 and is expected to take about five years to complete.