Climate resilience: Government cuts ribbon on £67m Ipswich tidal barrier

The government last week provided evidence of its long term climate resilience strategy in action, cutting the ribbon on a new tidal flood defence barrier designed to help protect the town of Ipswich "for the next century".

The new defences were officially opened on Friday by Floods Minister, Dr Thérèse Coffey, who hailed the project as evidence of the government's investment in the Suffolk town's "future prosperity".

"This important new flood scheme, which has received nearly £55m of government funding, over 80 per cent of the total cost, will better protect over 1,600 homes in Ipswich from tidal flooding over the next 100 years," she said. "The scheme will also secure the future of hundreds of local businesses whilst creating 4,000 jobs to boost the town's economy."

The scheme, which is also designed to protect around 400 businesses and reclaim land for development, features a 200-tonne rotating barrier which can be raised in minutes and can help keep the town safe from tidal surges during storms.

The flood gate has a design similar to that of the Thames Barrier and is so large that it is coated with six tonnes of protective paint, the government said. The flood gate rotates upwards out of the sea floor into the closed position, holding back dangerous tidal surges that could flood the town.

In addition, 1,100 metres of new and refurbished flood walls and a series of flood gates on the banks of the River Orwell have been installed as part of the project.

The Environment Agency stressed the development had been shaped by climate change projections which show sea levels could rise by up to 1.15 metres over the course of the century, increasing the risk of tidal surges affecting those living near the coast.

"Climate change means increasing storms and rising sea levels all over the world," said Environment Agency chair Emma Howard Boyd. "This flood scheme will help people and businesses prosper in a more resilient Ipswich over the course of the next century.

"The Environment Agency worked closely with the local community, the council and businesses to design and build a scheme that provides a greater level of protection for the town. It's an important step forwards for our six year, £2.6bn flood investment across the whole country."