£40m Great Yarmouth Flood Defense Upgrade About to Begin

Tidal defenses in Great Yarmouth are set to receive a £40.3 million refurbishment, according to the the Environment Agency latest report.

Aerial photo of Great Yarmouth, credit: Great Yarmouth Borough Council

The work will see 46 flood defense walls refurbished at locations across the town using an innovative technique that will extend their lifespan by up to 30 years.

It follows on from the initial five-year phase of work which included the use of a specialized dam, known as a limpet dam. These works to replace more than 500 meters of tidal defenses was completed in early 2017.

The next phase of works is being delivered by the Environment Agency’s contractor JBA-Bentley. Preliminary work for this new phase of improvements began in February.

Funding is now in place for the next phase of the multi-partner project, which is being led by the Environment Agency and due to start later this year.

The £40.3 million investment, plus £6.2 million for ongoing maintenance, has come from a range of sources including £32.4 million provided by central government.

Partnership contributions have come from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, £8.2 million through the Growth Deal program, and £2.8 million from the Anglian Eastern Regional Flood & Coastal Committee.

A public drop-in event is being held on 13 June, 2019 at the Kingsgate Community Church, Kings Centre, 30 Queen Anne’s Road, Great Yarmouth, NR31 0LE.

The session, which runs from 2pm and 7pm, will offer people the chance to find out more about the project and the partners involved.