Current Project

Proposed new infrastructure to reduce tidal flood risk in Poole town centre, the Old Town and surrounding areas over the next 100 years. 

Overview

Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill is the last remaining undefended waterfront in the town centre. There is a high and present day risk of tidal flooding which increases significantly over the next century due to climate change and sea level rise. BCP Council, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, landowners, developers and other relevant organisations, is working to provide a permanent flood defence along 1.5 km of the eastern side of Holes Bay (see the Area map below).

Flood Risk in Poole

The Poole Harbour and Wareham, Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy (2014) identified that within Central Poole there are 573 properties at high flood risk in the present day, rising to over 2,000 properties at flood risk by 2110. In recognition that regeneration was not forthcoming to provide the flood defences, we tabled the option of a Council-led scheme and it gained outline business case approval by BCP Cabinet in September 2020. In January 2021, the Environment Agency confirmed £12.4 million of funding* to build the new infrastructure. 

The land along Back Water Channel is in a mixture of different private ownerships.  The current quay walls simply retain the earth and are not considered to be flood defence infrastructure. Many do not have a crest level higher than the land behind and some require urgent attention

Potential costs of flood damage without defences

Without the proposed flood defence scheme, the potential cost of tidal flooding damages to town centre infrastructure and properties, over the next 100 years, could exceed £161 million. This is the area highlighted in red on the Benefits map below. By calculating the cost of damages in a ‘do nothing’ scenario it enables us to bid for central government Grant in Aid funding so that we can do something to reduce the flood risk to local communities. The adjacent area (highlighted orange) shows the area which was used to gain funding for the raising of Poole Quay’s flood defences. 

An Adaptable Design

Zone A – Holes Bay Road & Lifeboat Quay Defences will be raised to 2.65m AOD* in 2025, then raised again to 3.6m AOD in 2071.

Zone B – RNLI All Weather Lifeboat Station is protected for the next 85 years. No planned works.

Zone C – Slip Way will make best use of existing assets. Ground levels will be raised to 2.49m AOD* in 2025 and then raised again to 3.6m AOD in 2071.

Zone D – RNLI College is protected for the next 50 years. No planned works.

Zone E – RNLI car park to Poole Bridge. It is more cost effective to replace the current quay walls in 2026, raising the height to 3.6m AOD*.

*Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) is a fixed reference level (in Newlyn, Cornwall) which has replaced ‘above sea level’ as the standard reference from which vertical heights on maps are measured.

Environmental considerations

The flood defence scheme is in Poole Harbour which has a range of protected special designations including: Ramsar – wetland sites of international importance, Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Area (SPA). To carry out any work in the Harbour, a number of environmental assessments are required from Natural England, Marine Management Organisation as well as planning consent from BCP Council. Anticipated environmental marine enhancements include benefits for wintering and breeding birds, breeding fish and seahorses & sea sponges.

 *Funding

In January 2021, when the scheme was in its Outline Business Case Stage, the Environment Agency awarded government funding of £12.4 million. On 5th Feb 2025, Defra announced additional funding for nearly 1,000 projects with properties most at risk from tidal flooding that are set to be better protected. This scheme received an additional £3.5 million.

Currently, we are in our Detailed Design Stage. Variation in costs is a normal part of scheme design and delivery. The early estimated costs were subject to significant increases, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rapid inflation.

More

When constructed, this permanent flood defence will complement other schemes close by including:

• Holes Bay Flood Defences 2018
• Poole Quay Sea Wall 2015-2019