An section of Kent's coastline has been selected as the next site for coastal flood defences.

The Environment Agency announced today that Lydd Ranges will be the next part of the Folkestone to Cliff End Strategy.

The strategy, abbreviated to FoCES, was approved by government in 2010.

It set out plans for a series of flood defences to manage flood and erosion risks along the Romney Marsh coastline over the next 100 years, taking the predicted impacts of climate change into account.

To date £130 million has been invested on flood defences along the Romney Marsh coastline as part of the strategy.

Most of the coastline now has improved flood defences, with a the risk of flooding in any year reduces to 0.5% or 1 in 200 chance

Hythe Ranges is the latest scheme to be completed as part of the strategy.

Work will start at Lydd Ranges in April to further strengthen existing defences.

It follows similar work on the Queenborough Barrier on the Isle of Sheppey and the Medway Property Flood Resilience scheme, which focussed on towns and villages along the River Medway.

Environment Agency chair, Emma Howard Boyd, celebrated these schemes, and the overall efforts of the agency since 2015.
She said:“The success of this programme is measured in numbers, 700 projects, 300,000 homes, nearly 600,000 acres of agricultural land, thousands of businesses and major pieces of infrastructure, on time and within budget.

"But the sense of security these protections bring to people, and the benefits to nature, can’t easily be demonstrated on a spreadsheet."

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