A SEAWALL which runs between Jaywick and Seawick will receive extra care during the winter months after the Met Office warned of a wetter-than-average season.

The Cocket Wick seawall improvement scheme reached completion last month to boost protection of more than 3,000 properties between Jaywick and Seawick against tidal flooding. 

Thirty-five people died in Jaywick during the Great Flood of 1953, when a storm surge overwhelmed sea defences to the west. 

The autumn months are expected to be wetter than usual, and many areas have already seen 100 per cent of their average September rainfall, the Met Office said.

A total of 5.5 million properties in England are at risk from flooding and the country has just experienced the wettest 18 months on record, to February 2024.

A new Floods Resilience Taskforce met yesterday (September 12) to discuss how to speed up and coordinate flooding preparation between central government, local authorities, community responders and emergency services.

Environment Agency teams have been prioritising the construction, maintenance and repair of key flood defences of the Cockett Wick seawall to ensure the community is better protected.

Jaywick councillor Bradley Thompson said: "It's absolutely brilliant that the workers are going to carry out the maintenance for the residents and keeping everyone safe. 

"Keeping everyone safe is the main priority and a big thank you to the Environmental Agency for their continuous support as Jaywick is in the high flood risk area."

Caroline Douglass, executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, said: “Protecting people and communities is our top priority, which will only become more pressing as climate change brings more extreme weather and rising sea levels.

“This new task force will look at the range of resilience measures available to provide options to reduce flood risks in more communities – and we will play our part to ensure essential projects are delivered across the country.”

The next meeting of the task force will take place in early 2025 and will discuss longer term oversight of wider flood resilience strategy and investment, as well as any learnings on the response to major flooding.