Sunbury-on-Thames, Non-statutory Consultation On Design Development For River Thames Scheme

Non-Statutory notice

Notice publicising a proposed application for a development consent order - Non-statutory supplementary consultation

River Thames Scheme

The Environment Agency (EA) and Surrey County Council (SCC) (the “Applicants”) (whose registered offices are at Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AH and Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8EF respectively) are proposing to submit an application to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise the River Thames Scheme (the “Scheme”). The Scheme is an Environmental Impact Assessment development (“EIA development”) under The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. This means that it is a development for which an EIA is required.

The Scheme represents a new landscape-based approach to creating healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable communities. It would respond to the challenges of flooding, create more access to green spaces and sustainable travel routes, in addition to encouraging inclusive economic growth, increasing biodiversity and responding to the dual challenges of climate change and nature recovery.

The Scheme will consist of a new river channel built in two sections, passing through the boroughs of Runnymede and Spelthorne in Surrey. The Scheme also includes bed lowering of the River Thames downstream of the Desborough Cut and increases in capacity at Sunbury, Molesey and Teddington Weirs by adding in additional gates. The channel will be bordered by a new active travel route, new areas to improve biodiversity, and new public green open space.

The Scheme carried out a statutory consultation from 22 January to 4 March 2024 in relation to the proposed application. Documents from this statutory consultation provided further information about the Scheme and are available online at: www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk/document-library. This consultation received more than two thousand individual responses, representing a broad spectrum of interests and concerns. Since then, we have been carefully considering all the feedback we received during this period while continuing to develop the Scheme in advance of submitting the application for development consent in 2025.

As part of statutory consultation, we consulted on our developing proposals for the Scheme’s design in relation to Ferris Meadow Lake. We set out that we would be continuing to appraise the Spelthorne section of the channel design proposals at Ferris Meadow Lake and would consider consultation feedback.

We are now consulting to seek feedback on how we can develop the Scheme’s design at Ferris Meadow Lake and on the Ferris Meadow Lake Options Appraisal Report.

Consultation materials

The supplementary consultation document suite includes the following materials:

• Supplementary consultation brochure
• Supplementary consultation feedback form
• A public notice, published in the Surrey & Epsom Comet
• Ferris Meadow Lake: Options Appraisal Report

These documents are available for inspection free of charge on the Scheme website www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk/supplementary-consultation-ferris-meadow-lake and will be available throughout the consultation period.

In this notice and on our website are details of the public information points and consultation events where printed copies of the brochure and feedback form will be available to pick up. The ‘Ferris Meadow Lake: Options Appraisal Report’ will also be made available, for inspection only, at the public information points and consultation events.

One paper copy of the supplementary consultation brochure and supporting feedback form will be sent free of charge to any UK address upon request during the consultation period. Requests for copies of the ‘Ferris Meadow Lake: Options Appraisal Report’ may also be made during the consultation period but will incur a charge to cover the cost of printing and postage (maximum of £20).

Public inspection points

| The Greeno Centre | | | 14 Meadow View, Glebeland Gardens, Shepperton, TW17 9DH. | | | Monday–Friday | 09:00–16:00 | | Saturday | Closed | | Sunday | Closed |

| Walton Library | | | 54 The Heart (off Hepworth Way), Walton on Thames, KT12 1GH. | | | Monday | 09:30–17:30 | | Tuesday | 09:30–19:00 | | Wednesday | 09:30–17:30 | | Thursday | 09:30–17:30 | | Friday | 09:30–17:30 | | Saturday | 09:30–17:00 | | Sunday | Closed |

| Sunbury Library | | | 41-43, The Parade, Staines Road West, Sunbury-on-Thames, TW16 7AB. | | | Monday | Closed | | Tuesday–Saturday | 09:30–17:00 | | Sunday | Closed |

Consultation events

We will be hosting three in-person consultation events where the local community can find out more information about the design development of the Scheme in relation to Ferris Meadow Lake and speak with a Scheme representative in person.

Virtual eventsThe virtual events will last for approximately an hour. Attendees will be asked to register to attend via the Scheme email address: enquiries@riverthamesscheme.org.uk, using the subject line RTS virtual event registration. Once registered, you will receive an email with a Microsoft Teams invite to the relevant session. The first event will be recorded and posted on the Scheme website, enabling people to participate in the consultation at their convenience.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions which will be answered by the Scheme’s representatives during the event. If for any reason it is necessary to cancel a scheduled event, we will publish this on the Scheme website and via our designated social media channels. We will hold additional virtual events if our planned events are oversubscribed. Notification of these will be made via our online platforms.

Submitting feedback

Between Tuesday 3 September 2024 and Monday 7 October 2024, people will be able to submit their feedback on the proposals.

Responses to the supplementary consultation can be submitted in the following ways:

1. Online feedback form: hosted on Citizen Space with a direct link included in the Scheme website www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk/supplementary-consultation-ferris-meadow-lake.
2. Paper feedback form: available for collection at information points and events and on request. Completed forms are to be sent to the Freepost address set out below.
3. Written feedback: FREEPOST RIVER THAMES SCHEME SUPPLEMENTARY CONSULTATION.
4. By Email: at enquiries@riverthamesscheme.org.uk. Please state in your email subject line that it is your RTS consultation feedback.

The deadline for submitting responses to this consultation will be 23:59 on Monday 7 October 2024.

We cannot guarantee the receipt and identification of responses submitted via other methods. As such, responses submitted via other methods than those listed above, such as social media or other correspondence channels may not be taken into account.

Responses given orally, such as via telephone, at the consultation events or at the virtual events, will be considered in exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis where someone may not otherwise be able to respond to the consultation using the methods above.

How we will use your feedback

In line with our statutory consultation, following the close of the consultation, the feedback will be reviewed and analysed to understand key themes and concerns. The proposed DCO application will be finalised, having regard to the feedback received from the supplementary consultation.

In providing any comment, it should be borne in mind that the substance of it may be communicated to others as part of the application. Any responses that are published will have all personal details redacted. However, the Planning Inspectorate can request an unredacted copy of the responses. Further details can be found on our privacy notice on the Scheme website www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk/privacy.

If you have any further queries about this notice, the Scheme or the supplementary consultation, please contact us using the details provided below.

• Email: enquiries@riverthamesscheme.org.uk
• Telephone: Surrey County Council Contact Centre - 03456 009 009
• Text (SMS): 07860 053 465 (for the deaf or hard of hearing community)
• Textphone: (via Relay UK): 18001 03456 009 009