Green Light for Boston Barrier Scheme

The Environment Agency’s £100 million Boston Barrier – which will better protect more than 14,000 properties from tidal flooding – has been given the a green light by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Michael Gove.

Following approval for the scheme’s full business case from HM Treasury last week, the contract for the project has been awarded to Bam Nuttall and Mott MacDonald joint venture (BMMJV).

The Barrier will make Boston one of the best protected areas from flooding outside of London, the Environment Agency said in their latest announcement.

The Secretary of State has now approved the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) to grant powers to construct and operate the barrier, and work is set to begin in January.

The Environment Minister, Therese Coffey, said: “Not only is this fantastic news for the 14,000 home and business owners who will be better protected from flooding – Boston’s new state of the art defenses will help attract investment, benefiting the wider area.

“This is just one of many flood schemes being built in Lincolnshire and we are investing £229 million over six years to better protect communities across the county.”

Boston has a long history of tidal flooding. The town flooded in 1953, again in 1978, and more recently during the tidal surge on 5 December 2013 when defences were over-topped, damaged or breached. This affected the town extensively, with over 800 properties flooded across 55 streets.

The Environment Agency is investing £2.5 billion across the country, which will see 1,500 flood defenses reducing risk to 300,000 homes by 2021.

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