Bowers Marshes Policy Unit: Thames Estuary 2100
What needs to be done to manage flood risk and adapt to rising sea levels in Bowers Marshes, one of 23 policy units in Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100).
Applies to England
Map centred on the Bowers Marshes policy unit boundary, which includes the freshwater grazing marshes and an area of South Benfleet. The surrounding areas are shown, with the map extending 1.5 kilometres (km) north and south and 2km east and west. The flood risk layer shows that the north and east areas of the policy unit have a 0.1% or higher chance of flooding each year without the existing flood defences. The risk is reduced by defences.
Description
The Bowers Marshes Policy Unit runs from Wat Tyler Country Park in the west to South Benfleet in the east. Most of the policy unit area is the marshes themselves.
The local councils responsible for this area are:
- Basildon Council
- Castle Point Borough Council
The Bowers Marshes Policy Unit includes:
- a nature reserve with dry and wet grassland, fresh and saline lagoons, intertidal habitat, saltmarsh and arable areas
- freshwater grazing marshes
- Pitsea landfill site
- South Benfleet Flood Storage Area (a reservoir)
- railway line
- properties in an area of South Benfleet
The Bowers Marshes have historic features and buried archaeological remains, creating a complex environment.
The local watercourses include:
- Pitseahall Fleet
- Haven Creek
- Vange Creek
- Benfleet Hall Sewer
- drainage systems on Bowers Marshes
Use the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) map to view all the policy units.
Local areas at risk and types of flooding
The areas at risk of flooding are:
- London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness railway line
- properties near South Benfleet Flood Storage Area
- Wat Tyler Country Park
The types of flooding that could affect this policy unit include:
- tidal flooding from Vange and East Haven Creeks – when the tide overtops flood defences
- fluvial flooding from Pitseahall Fleet, Benfleet Hall Sewer and the marsh drainage systems on Bowers Marshes – when heavy rainfall causes rivers to overflow their banks or defences
- a combination of these
Managing flood risk in this area
To manage the flood risks:
- Fobbing Horse Barrier controls tidal water levels on Vange Creek
- East Haven and Benfleet Barriers control tidal water levels on East Haven Creek
- Benfleet Hall Sewer and Bowers Marshes have drainage systems
- Vange and East Haven Creeks have secondary tidal flood defences
To reduce tidal flood risk, the South Benfleet Flood Storage Area stores water from Benfleet Hall Sewer during high water levels when the Benfleet Barrier is closed.
The Environment Agency use flood alerts and flood warnings to inform people about potential flooding so they can take appropriate action.
Sign up to receive flood warnings in your area.
Flood risk management policies for this area
Thames Estuary 2100 sets flood risk management policies for each area of the estuary. The policies range from P3 to P5 and outline how we should manage that area’s tidal defences.
In this area a P4 policy applies.
This means we will take further action to keep up with climate and land use change so that flood risk does not increase. We will need to work with other risk management authorities to do more to manage flood risk.
Find out more about flood risk management policies.
Local requirements: who needs to do what
Tidal flood defence owners
By 2040, tidal flood defence owners in this policy unit should:
- work with the council, developers and local infrastructure providers to adapt defences and achieve multiple benefits through proposed development
- work with the Environment Agency to raise defences where required
For further information read outcome 2: improving fixed flood defences.
Local councils
The Association of South Essex Local Authorities includes:
- Basildon
- Brentwood
- Castle Point
- Essex County
- Rochford
- Southend-on-Sea
- Thurrock
The Association will work with the Environment Agency to manage the risk of flood and create multiple benefits. This should be part of South Essex proposals, from strategic plans to landscape-scale environment schemes. It should also be in line with the riverside strategy approach.
There is currently no riverside strategy for this area. By 2030, councils should work with communities to plan how their riverside will look in future.
Find out more about the riverside strategy approach.
Network Rail
Network Rail will work with councils and the Environment Agency to ensure transport infrastructure in Essex is resilient to increasing flood risk. This will support growth in the outer estuary.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) will explore further habitat and biodiversity improvements at Bowers Marsh in Essex through the creation of salt marshes.
Thames Estuary Partnership
The Thames Estuary Partnership will work with communities, councils, the Environment Agency and other partners to scope the need and potential extension of the Thames Strategy East or creation of an alternative Joint Thames Strategy to cover this policy unit. Any agreed landscape vision for the river corridor will include a riverside strategy approach to tidal flood defence upgrades.