Flood protection for more people in West Kent is step closer
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-08)

Another major milestone has been reached at the Leigh Flood Storage Area (FSA) after new central gate is installed as part of works to increase its capacity.

- Second flood gate installed at Leigh Flood Storage Area as part of major upgrade.
- Once completed, approximately 25% more floodwater can be stored – bringing the total storage capacity up to the equivalent of 2,800 Olympic swimming pools.
- More than 1,800 homes and 575 non-residential properties better protected from flooding.
Another major milestone has been reached at the Leigh Flood Storage Area after the new central gate, the second of three new gates, has been installed as part of works to increase its capacity.

The Leigh Flood Storage Area, the largest Environment Agency-owned and operated flood storage reservoir in Kent, currently reduces the risk of flooding from the River Medway to 1,200 homes and businesses in Tonbridge and Hildenborough.

The scheme works by storing additional water in a storage area, similar to a large lake, and is operated during periods of heavy rain to reduce the volume of water travelling downstream to protect vulnerable homes and businesses.

Over the last year, the Environment Agency has been working tirelessly to reduce the flood risk to a further 600 homes and 575 businesses by replacing the 44-year-old original gates and raising sections of the embankment. Replacing the gates has extended the life of the structure to at least 2060.

Ian Nunn, flood and coastal risk management operations manager, for the Environment Agency, said:

The installation of the new centre gate is a huge achievement and another great step forward in the project to reduce the flood-risk to more than 1,800 homes and 575 non-residential properties in Tonbridge and Hildenborough.

People can be assured that the flood storage area will remain operational throughout the project, to continue to protect people, homes and businesses.

Thank you to local residents for their continued patience while the work is ongoing.

The Environment Agency are currently delivering the government’s long-term funding programme of flood defences, investing £2.65 billion over 2024/5 and 2025/6 to scale up national resilience through building new and improving existing defences. The improvement works at the Leigh Flood Storage Area are part of this programme. The Environment Agency prioritises maintenance work on assets to provide the greatest flood-risk reduction for people, homes, and businesses.

Leigh Flood Storage Area centre gate being lifted by crane (Environment Agency)

The new central gate, lifted into place by a 300-tonne crane, is the second of the 3 new gates that will be installed during construction. The third and final gate is expected to be installed in late summer. The new gates were delivered in pieces and welded together on site. Each gate weighs around 12.5 tonnes – equivalent to the weight of a single-decker bus!

By replacing the gates and raising the clay core in sections of the embankment, the flood storage area will be able to hold approximately 25% more water than it does now.

Increasing the current capacity of 5.58 million cubic metres to more than 7 million cubic metres of flood water, the equivalent of 2,800 Olympic size swimming pools, will help to better protect more than 600 additional homes from flooding, as well as 575 non-residential properties.

Cllr Matt Boughton, leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, said:

It’s fantastic to see the construction of this vital project progressing so well. The scale of the engineering involved is truly impressive, not least the installation of the enormous gates which will provide reassurance for thousands of homes and businesses in our borough who will see their properties far better-protected from the devastating impact that flooding can have.

I’d like to thank the Environment Agency and all involved for their work so far and very much look forward to successful completion of the scheme in the coming months.

Liz Gibney, Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP) chair, said:

While we are going through a dry spell currently, we ought not to forget the devastating effect that flooding can have on local businesses, residents, and communities. KMEP prioritised this project for investment to provide peace of mind to business leaders, knowing their premises and livelihoods are better protected.

The second new gate at Leigh marks a significant milestone in this important project, and is a vital step towards a safer, more resilient future for everyone. We thank the Environment Agency and partners for their hard work.

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Background

There are around 90,000 Environment Agency maintained assets, worth £26 billion, that reduce the risk of flooding to 2.3 million properties. These assets benefit the economy by reducing the annual average flood damages of £2.8 billion.

For more information – please visit the scheme’s GOV.UK page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/leigh-expansion-and-hildenborough-embankments-scheme/leigh-expansion-and-hildenborough-embankments-scheme (https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fleigh-expansion-and-hildenborough-embankments-scheme%2Fleigh-expansion-and-hildenborough-embankments-scheme&data=05%7C02%7CKristina.Smith%40defra.gov.uk%7Cba1ccbfd6940496fa9cb08ddbed8e036%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638876560857338307%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=u2VBqn6Mqk0uWiGaIgF220z9x5lqUrMOBBgojeMYCqI%3D&reserved=0)

To find out more about how the two elements of the scheme work, you can view our YouTube animations:

How the Leigh flood Storage Area works to reduce flood risk (https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9FVsi0WNa50&data=05%7C02%7CKristina.Smith%40defra.gov.uk%7C6f24c421b9724409e3dc08ddbee67802%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638876619265795986%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wJf8mX7KG7uo63Z6hjsCYV%2FxgNtwZQvLGHmdqBj1Qxs%3D&reserved=0)

Hildenborough embankment scheme - YouTube (https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DShkLbLlBSS8&data=05%7C02%7CKristina.Smith%40defra.gov.uk%7C6f24c421b9724409e3dc08ddbee67802%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638876619265818453%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hqREX6oilNuqjuFM6j8p3993QQIORchCQ1em3B75Nl4%3D&reserved=0)

Working in partnership

The Environment Agency is working to deliver the scheme in partnership with:
- Kent County Council
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
- Kent and Medway Economic Partnership
Funding is through the government’s Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid, with contributions from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, Kent County Council and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (now the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership).

Scheme progress

It is expected that the scheme will be completed by the end of winter 2025/26.

This is a complex programme and timings could change depending on external factors, such as the weather. Regular scheme updates are provided to residents and stakeholders via newsletters and on GOV.UK.