New flood scheme opens to protect Tonbridge and Hildenborough

A major £42 million flood scheme has officially opened, providing better protection from flooding for homes, businesses and essential services in Tonbridge and Hildenborough.

The expanded Leigh flood storage area and new Hildenborough embankment scheme will reduce flood risk to 1,870 homes and 575 businesses, while also benefiting communities further downstream along the River Medway.

The scheme has increased the capacity of the Leigh flood storage area by around 23 per cent. By raising the maximum stored water level at the control structure by 55 centimetres, the expanded storage area can now hold approximately 7.4 million cubic metres of floodwater, equivalent to around 2,880 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The scheme will help communities respond to the growing challenge posed by climate change, with increased likelihood of more frequent, severe storms and extremely wet winters. The project has also improved the reliability and resilience of the structure, enabling it to continue reducing flood-risk for the next 50 years.

The original Leigh flood storage area was completed in 1982, and has since played a vital role in protecting downstream communities and was operated 75 times between 1981 and summer 2026 to reduce flood-risk.

Simon Curd, flood-risk manager for the Environment Agency in Kent, said:

This is a major investment in the safety and resilience of communities along the River Medway. The original Leigh flood storage area has protected Tonbridge and Hildenborough for more than 40 years, but climate change means we must be prepared for more severe storms and wetter winters.

By increasing the amount of floodwater the area can store by around 23 per cent and improving the reliability of its gates and operating systems, we have made sure this vital structure can continue reducing flood-risk for the next 50 years.