London’s Thames Barrier marks 40th anniversary

Today, 8 May, marks four decades since the grand opening of the Thames Barrier, a pivotal moment in safeguarding London from the threat of flooding. It continues to provide vital and reliable protection from flooding to the nation’s capital to this day.

Operated and maintained by the Environment Agency, the Thames Barrier and the other flood defences across the wider estuary protect 125 square kilometres of central London, encompassing 1.42 million people, four World Heritage sites, more than 4,000 listed buildings, 711 healthcare sites, 116 railway and tube stations and more than 300km of major roads. The value of residential property protected stands at £321bn.

Without the barrier, storm surges and frequent tidal flooding of the Thames would submerge buildings along the river as well as the underground, wrecking properties and livelihoods and causing billions of pounds worth of devastating damage.

In its 40 years, the barrier has closed 221 times for flood defence purposes, underlining its importance to helping London thrive. The original design life was only to 2030, but due to the excellent design and build, the Thames Barrier will continue to protect London until 2070.

“Having witnessed and worked on the Thames Barrier’s opening, I am immensely proud of the protection it has provided London for the past 40 years and will continue to provide for years to come.

“However, we will not rest on our laurels given the threat of rising sea levels, which is why we have committed to working with partners to review and decide on an end-of-century option by 2040 in our Thames Estuary 2100 Plan, to ensure the capital is protected over the longer term.”

Andy Batchelor, Thames Tidal Defences Operations Manager.

Between 2021-27, the government is investing £5.6bn in creating new flood and coastal defences to better protect hundreds of thousands of properties across England including in London, where the Thames Barrier stands proudly as testament to the Environment Agency’s work.

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