It has been many years in the planning, but a multi-million pound scheme to expand the Leigh Flood Storage Area is finally to get underway.

The Leigh expansion and Hildenborough embankment scheme will protect an estimated additional 230 properties downstream at Tonbridge from flooding.

Granted planning permission in November 2022, the scheme will cost £21.2m and is a joint venture between the Environment Agency, KCC and Tonbridge and Malling Council.

The aim is to increase the capacity of the existing Leigh Flood Storage Area by constructing a new flood embankment at Hildenborough, that will allow the storage area to be safely flooded to a greater depth.

When completed, the scheme will protect an estimated 1,430 properties in total that could otherwise be flooded on an not infrequent basis.

Historically, Tonbridge has experienced some massive floods, especially in 1911 and 1968.

The work will increase the capacity of flood storage area by 25%.

It will do this by refurbishing the three floodgates on the River Medway and raising parts of the existing embankments. At the same time, a new eel pass will be built to the south of the control structure.

The flood storage area sits between the villages of Leigh and Penshurst and when full, it covers about 278 hectares.

It is formed by a 1.3km long, five-metre-high earth embankment across the Medway valley, with the River Medway passing through three steel gates built into the embankment.

The gates control the amount of water flowing downstream by either letting the river flow normally, or regulating it to hold water in the storage area.

KCC is paying £2.5m towards the costs; TMBC is contributing £500k and the rest is coming from the Government.

The Environment Agency is hosting a drop-in session to explain the scheme to the public and also to inform them of what traffic management measures residents might expect during construction.

The session will be at Hildenborough Village Hall in Riding Lane, Hildenborough, on Thursday, February 22, between 3pm and 7pm and is open to all.