We should also be preparing for possible sea invasion as well as improving our response to too much rainfall.

The biggest task ahead is to renew the Thames barrier. The barrier is forecast to have an effective life up to 2020. We should recognise how crucial it is to offer proper protection to the millions of people in the East Thames and London area, and should be planning a bigger barrier further east. This could be linked to land reclamation in the estuary to create value for development that would help pay for the scheme.Sea defences along the Kentish coast also need to be strengthened, now that so much new development is going into the East Thames corridor.

The government should announce a competition for private sector plans for a new barrier, asking for their bids on how much money the project could generate and what public funding might also be needed.

We should reconsider the Environment Agency’s planned strategic retreat in places along the east coast, to see if there are realistically priced solutions to keeping the sea out in other places.

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