South East Thatcham Flood Alleviation Scheme
Reducing the risk of flooding for residents in Thatcham
Following the severe storm on 20 July 2007, West Berkshire Council commissioned a Surface Water Management Plan to investigate the widespread flooding that occurred in Thatcham and identify proposals to prevent or mitigate the effects of a similar storm event in the future.
The report found that the option of constructing attenuation basins in and around Thatcham would be the most effective engineering solution to protect the area from flooding. The attenuation basins would be designed to store and control the flow of flood water into the surface water sewers under Thatcham, preventing them from becoming overloaded and causing overland flows, which was the source of most of the flooding in 2007.
The South East Thatcham Flood Alleviation Scheme includes several attenuation areas formed from a series of strategically located bunds, approximately two kilometres in length and varying in height from 0.5m to 1.5m. Flood water will be directed into the attenuation areas by re-shaping Harts Hill Road causing the water to flow off of the carriageway and into Dunstan Green. A number of flow control structures in the form of culverts and spillways are also proposed. Further details can be see on the following drawings:
General Arrangement drawing for the proposed scheme at Dunstan Green Park [1Mb] (updated on 27 October 2017)- General Arrangement drawing for the proposed scheme at the Francis Baily Primary School and Kennet School playing fields [1Mb] (updated on 27 October 2017)
- General Arrangement drawing for the proposed scheme at the public open space near the school playing fields [1Mb] (updated on 27 October 2017)
The completed scheme will provide a level of protection to properties in south east of Thatcham of up to the 1 in 100 storm event, plus a further twenty percent allowance for climate change.
The proposed scheme includes extensive landscaping work to enhance the character of public parks at Dunstan Green and Siege Cross. Presently the recreation ground lacks a landscape character of value with extensive mown areas of standard amenity grass, lack of trees and poor-quality boundary treatment Although some trees will be required to be removed, a substantial number of trees are proposed as replacements, which will both mitigate the flood defence scheme, and further enhance the area.
The proposed tree planting at Dunstan Green will enhance the landscape character of the open area of grass as well as the adjacent Harts Hill Road.
The proposed landscape measures within the Siege Cross recreation ground will create a Nature Park which will provide added interest to an otherwise visually plain area, as well as providing improved habitats and biodiversity.
Tree planting around the boundary of the recreation ground will also improve the boundary by screening the existing close boarded fences. The landscaping proposals can be seen on the drawings below:
- Proposed landscape plan for Dunstan Green Park (North) [2Mb] (updated on 2 November 2017)
- Proposed landscape plan for Dunstan Green Park (South) [2Mb] (updated on 2 November 2017)
- Proposed landscape plan for the Francis Baily and Kennet School sport pitches [2Mb] (updated on 2 November 2017)
- Proposed landscape plan for the Kennet School sport pitch and Nature Park (North) [2Mb] (updated on 2 November 2017)
- Proposed landscape plan for the Public Open Space (North) [2Mb] (updated on 2 November 2017)
- Proposed landscape plan for the Public Open Space (South) [2Mb] (updated on 2 November 2017)