Fears West Mersea flood defence has been delayed further

Residents have grown frustrated over ongoing delays to the construction of a demountable flood defence barrier in Carrier Close, which was given planning permission more than three years ago.

Last week, Essex County Council told the Gazette a site compound should be established on Monday, adding officers are “confident the outstanding work will be completed within the specified timescales”.

A Freedom of Information response revealed the authority expected work to be completed within 14 weeks, which means work should be finished by March 11.

Before - the land off Colchester Road before the compound was first established (Image: Tony Pett)

After - the land now (Image: Tony Pett)

But a planning application received by Colchester Council suggests the project may overrun by another seven weeks, with an extension requested until April 30.

It says: “The construction work has come across countless problems such as access issues for residents, finding unmapped underground services that have resulted in design changes, waiting for external permits to be granted.

“Over the last two months we have experienced severe weather and flooding issues that have required the workforce to be redirected to other area to deal with emergency responses.”

The application adds that the construction work would be “in jeopardy” without the compound in place until completion, while the homes the scheme is designed to protect “will still be at greater levels of flood risk” if it were to be wound down.

'It's unsightly'

Tony Pett lives opposite the compound, which he says sits on what was open fields and a mud track which was occasionally used by a farmer, and was first notified it would be established in 2021 for 12 weeks.

Beauty spot - before the compound was established (Image: Maria Gager)

The Colchester Road resident of 32 years said: “When it’s actively in use all you can see is shipping containers. At the moment we have an open farmland view back across the estuary but when the containers go back in that’s all we’ll be able to see.

“It is very unsightly. In planning, you don’t have a right to a view but what we thought we had was protection in Colchester’s local plan to protect the agricultural land yet we’re still going through this awful process for a project that’s completely failed and has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“If this sort of practice is replicated across Essex, who knows how much of our money they’re wasting. No wonder the councils have to keep introducing new charges for things like garden waste.”

He added he has “no confidence whatsoever” that the work will be completed in the specified timescales, but Essex County Council said the new application “does not affect” the previously stated dates.

A spokesman said: “An application has been submitted to extend the compound site until the end of April, which does not affect the construction timeframe.

“This helps plan for any potential delays, such as inclement weather, in fulfilling a condition of the original planning application, which states the compound site should be returned to normal after construction has completed on the barrier scheme.”

The delays have left Maria Gager, also of Colchester Road, with “no faith in local councils”.

“Do I think this will all be over in April? No.” she said.

“The area is outstandingly beautiful as you look over towards the water from Colchester Road. But now its future is in jeopardy.”