Flood defence work well underway

Phase two has started in earnest on the Exeter flood defence scheme at Cowley which will reduce flood risk to more than 3,000 homes and businesses in Exeter.

The project is managed by the Environment Agency with support from project partners Exeter City Council and Devon County Council.

It is a huge undertaking and the scale of the project is now clearly visible from the road as these pictures show.

Exeter has a long history of flooding, going back as far as the 13th century. The current flood defences were built in the 1960s and 70s after devastating flooding affected more than 1,000 properties.

Although the current flood defences have worked effectively over the past 40 years, studies carried out by the Environment Agency indicate that in a more extreme flood the current scheme would not be able to protect vulnerable parts of the city.