Released in 2005 , a study by four academics contained a proposal to supersede the Thames Barrier with a more ambitious 16 km ( 10 mi ) long barrier across the Thames Estuary from Sheerness in Kent to Southend in Essex .
Released in 2005 , a study by four respected academics contained a proposal to replace the Thames Barrier with a more ambitious 16 km ( 10 mi ) long barrier across the Thames Estuary from Sheerness in Kent to Southend in Essex .