The Thames Estuary 2100, Riverside Appraisal and Options Study relates to the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) Environment Agency project to develop a tidal flood risk management strategy for the River Thames. It sets out the initial riverside planning appraisal for all 23 Policy Units along the tidal extent of the River Thames.

The document is a resource provided by the Environment Agency to inform the appraisal, design and implementation of multi-purpose riverside development, including flood risk infrastructure. It appraises the environmental constraints and opportunities within each Policy Unit based on an analysis of:

–       Ecology;

–       Heritage and archaeology;

–       Landscape and open space;

–       Access and transport;

–       Key views and landmarks;

–       Flood defence condition and type;

–       Flood defence raising requirements; and

–       Major development sites.

The document identifies specific opportunity areas across the estuary and provides best practice ideas that can be integrated into site specific flood risk management solutions. The focus is on demonstrating solutions that integrate environmental enhancement at the core of flood risk management. This is to encourage innovative thinking and design to realise scenarios where flood risk management is achieved in harmony with the surrounding landscape and townscape context. This approach will result in positive environmental enhancement schemes that are in keeping with the Environment Agency objective to Create a Better Place.

The document may feed into the development of riverside policies and strategies produced by the local authorities and will guide implementation of flood risk management works along the river.

This far-sighted strategy creates a strong framework for an integrated design approach for the Thames riverside environment and its flood defence mechanisms over the next 100 years.