New Thames Barrier

[Salas]

The news today says that London is possibly going to get another flood barrier costing a whopping �20 billion (which will end up as �30 billion, I'm sure)

The North was hit very hard this year with the flooding but the drains are not going to be improved or the building on flood plains stopped.

London, London, London, I am sick of hearing about the place. I know that it is the financial capital and there is a lot of major business there, but, people out side the M25 pay taxes as well and should be entitled to such defences or improvements.

What do you think ?

[jno]

the country is gradually tilting downwards in the southeast, upwards in the northwest, which is one of the reasons more flood defences will be needed in London: it's getting lower. On the other hand, rain in the north will run downhill to the south as the country gets steeper.

[B00]

so when we say "going dawwwn soufff", we really are going downhill to it?

Excellent!

[jno]

yep, it's just like they show it on the maps, B00! London definitely going downhill.

[Neilzulu1]

Typical, London bias. The millennium dome, national stadium etc etc. Why stick these in over populated places with rubbish transport links ?

I am certain that if you are above Watford then in the Governments eyes you are second rate. I bet if the floods that the north suffered had happened down south, there would have been 100% more activity helping people, and i bet the mobile flood defence would not be like 50 miles away like it was when the floods hit the midlands.

[whippetycros]

As a government minister I have to tell you it is all part of a conspiracy to divest ourselves of the country north of the watford gap. Looks like it is working.

[vehelpfulguy]

I live in Birmingham not London but I bet London earns more money for this country than the whole of the rest of the country put together.

Also, bearing in mind that the Government, the top Civil Service people, the bankers and finance people in the city, and our main phone and computer networks are all in London then a flooded London could mean that our economy could collapse.

Like it or not it is far more important to protect London than say Tewksbury or Worcester.

[Hammond Egg]

I think that there are rather more people living in London than Tewkesbury, or Sheffield, or Hull, too.

[Neilzulu1]

What a load of rubbish. I live in Birmingham too, but strongly disagree with the protect the bankers etc post. The fact is that we are all citizens of this country so deserve the same funding from the government.

Hammond Egg, so just because the smaller areas are less populated, you deem it ok for them to flood, shops to be ruined, loss of life ? ALL OF THE UK should have the same response to this problem.

It seems to me that the midlands / north have been used as a sad form of guini pig for London, now they have seen the devastation, all of a sudden they want a new barrier. How about sorting out all the poor people who suffered from the recent floods first ?

[jno]

flooding in London is mostly a matter of high tides - the whole North Sea goes rushing up the Thames - rather than heavy rains. Both combined in 1928, when 14 people died.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1928_Thames_flood

You don't get this sort of death toll in villages. More people in London means more people at risk; it also means a similar amount of expenditure on weather defences stands to save more lives.

The worst flooding as far as I know was around the North Sea in 1953

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_Flood_o f_1953

again, high tides rather than rain - water coming in rather than down

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, i dont live in London, but it is our capital. Like someone above says, it does earn a lot of money.
If a new flood barrier is needed then it should be implemented, regardless of the cost.
We need to protect our capital...

[Salas]

I am Ok with it so long as the Money comes from London Taxes and London Business and not blleding the north for the benefit of the south.

[Neilzulu1]

Or bleeding the Midlands.

[MrBen5]

Midlands have loads of money. I have seen those big houses and acres of land... ; )

[Neilzulu1]

Mrben5, is that your age or your mental age. The flooding in the Midlands was devastating, if you are trying to be funny don't bother!!

[China Doll]

Personally I think they let anyone past the Watford Gap these days. We need tougher migration laws.













Runs for cover

[Neilzulu1]

and then grows up.

[buildersmate]

The Thames Barrier is a sea-defence barrier. Since when has the Midlands needed sea-defence systems? And the Hull floods were nothing to do with the sea either. The two situations just aren't comparable. Unless you are expecting Government to build a large net to stop the stuff falling out of the sky.

[MrBen5]

Hey come on buildersmate , this is a serious thread... :)

[Neilzulu1]

I am only trying to say that they should sort out the defence for the Midlands / North before they spend 30 billion on the Thames.

[MrBen5]

the thames should be a higher priority than the midlands in my view.
I know people who live in the midlands will think different, but its the drainage and the fact that the houses are built on flood plains thats the issue there.