River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme
Southampton City Council (SCC) and the Environment Agency are working in partnership to design and build the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS). The scheme aims to reduce the risk of tidal flooding to the west bank of the River Itchen, including to areas of Northam, St Marys and Chapel.
Where is the scheme?
The proposed scheme frontage extends from Mount Pleasant Industrial Estate in the north, to the Southampton Water Activities Centre, just south of the Itchen Bridge. Presently there are no formal flood risk structures to protect the city from tidal flooding in this area, and where flood infrastructure does exist, it is in private ownership, offers various degrees of protection and is at varying conditions. Therefore existing quay walls, structures and land heights are not high enough to provide the level of protection needed from more frequent and severe flooding events expected in the future with climate change.
View a map of the scheme extent.
The map shows the River Itchen to scale. The start point being close to the Itchen Bridge stretching to Bevois Valley.
Why the scheme is needed
- Currently over 150 homes and over 200 businesses are at risk from tidal flooding.
- The provision of new flood risk management infrastructure will reduce tidal flood risk for over 1100 homes and 900 businesses by 2115.
- Key infrastructure, including electricity sub-stations, roads, rail and listed buildings are at risk from tidal inundation.
- Flooding of businesses and public footways has occurred along the proposed scheme frontage on a number of occasions over the past 20 years. High magnitude events have caused damage and disruption to local businesses, including significant flooding events occurring in 2014, 2008 and 2005.
Where we are now
At the beginning of 2019 the Environment Agency and Southampton City Council agreed a partnership to relaunch the RIFAS. We are currently in the outline design stage of the scheme, developing our design options to deliver a feasible flood alleviation project.
The timeline shows the board milestones for the scheme. Option planning until early 2022, Outline Business Case July 2022, detailed design 2023-2027, Full Business Case April 2027, followed by construction 2027-2030.
The options stage of the programme involves coming up with a number of feasible options that work for the area and meet our criteria including engineering suitability, cost, benefit and environmental impact. Work within this stage results in an ‘Outline Business Case’, a report which shows all the workings and justifications towards each of the potential options, and evidence for the preferred one. The report is submitted to the Environment Agency for approval at Gateway 2 (G2).
Meet the organisations
The River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme Project Team consists of members from both partnership organisations, Southampton City Council and the Environment Agency, as well as colleagues from JBA Consulting and VolkerStevin who are leading on design and construction, and Dalcour Maclaren as Land Agents.
Southampton City Council
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Southampton City Council is designated as a Lead Local Flood Authority under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. This means that we have the responsibility to work closely with organisations in order to manage local flood risk through a number of duties, responsibilities and powers.
For more information on the Council’s duties and responsibilities as a Lead Local Flood Authority please see our flooding pages.
Environment Agency
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The Environment Agency is responsible for taking a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal erosion. This includes, for example, setting the direction for managing the risks through strategic plans; providing evidence and advice to inform Government policy and support others; working collaboratively to support the development of risk management skills and capacity; and providing a framework to support local delivery.
The Environment Agency also has operational responsibility for managing the risk of flooding from rivers, reservoirs, estuaries and the sea, as well as being a coastal erosion risk management authority. As part of its strategic overview role, the Environment Agency has published a National Flood and Coastal Risk Management Strategy for England. The strategy provides a lot more information designed to ensure that the roles of all those involved in managing risk are clearly defined and understood.
For more information about the Environment Agency please see their ‘About us’ page.
JBA Consulting
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JBA Consulting is part of the JBA Group, an environmental, engineering and risk group, committed to exceptional client service helping to improve the environment, business and infrastructure.
JBA has been a national framework consultant to the Environment Agency since 1999 and the only consultant appointed to national flood management frameworks in each of the UK devolved administrations, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland. Locally JBA are appointed to over 20 flood management frameworks by lead local flood authorities. Under these frameworks they provide services in flood risk mapping, post-flood investigation, feasibility and design studies for flood management schemes, capacity building and training and model review and audit.
For more information about the JBA Group please see their ‘Who we are’ page.
Dalcour Maclaren
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Dalcour Maclaren delivers sustainable land and environmental solutions for utility and infrastructure clients across the UK, providing consultancy and expertise on consents, stakeholders and assets. They are strategy leaders and problem solvers, surveyors and liaison officers, environmental planners and ecologists, GIS and CAD specialists. Partnering with the Environment Agency, Southampton City Council and JBA they are here to support the RIFAS project every step of the way. Dalcour Maclaren is known for increasing efficiency, reducing project risk, and getting the job done.
Dalcour Maclaren works closely with over 60 of the UK’s largest infrastructure clients, and through the services they provide, have already assisted in protecting over 20,000 homes and business across the UK from flooding.
To find out more about Dalcour Maclaren, visit their expertise page.
VolkerStevin
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VolkerStevin is a construction and engineering company that achieves its long-term business goals through the delivery of high quality solutions and the development of trusting, sustainable relationships with each and every stakeholder.
VolkerStevin concentrate on their core markets: civil engineering, water and marine infrastructure, flood and coastal protection and land remediation and regeneration. Working throughout the UK they collaborate with other VolkerWessels companies as well as strategic joint venture partners to deliver better, safer, faster and more cost effective services to their clients.
For more information about VolkerStevin please see their ‘Who we are’ page.
Contact details
Please see our frequently asked questions for more information and answers to any questions you may have.
For any further details or enquires about the RIFAS please contact a member of the project team via our RIFAS email.
Email: rifas@southampton.gov.uk
