Boston & Skegness Drowning

Dear Mr Tice,

The flood danger facing Boston and Skegness is far more severe than even the concerns I have raised in recent months. The BBC has now confirmed that the constituency covering the towns of Boston and Skegness is officially the number one flood-risk area in the entire United Kingdom, with more than 90% of homes exposed to serious or extreme flooding. As the elected Member of Parliament for both towns, these facts should command your full attention and leadership.

However, the engineering, structural and management failures affecting our flood defences remain unaddressed. These failures are not caused by climate policy or 'eco-zealots', but by long-standing local decisions, overdue maintenance, design flaws and avoidable operational risks.

I therefore set out below the documented and verifiable risks that demand immediate review.

DOCUMENTED STRUCTURAL & OPERATIONAL FAILURES

1. Boston Barrier – Manual Operation in a High-Risk Zone

Contrary to public presentation, the Boston Barrier does not operate as a fully automatic, fail-safe system. It requires manual intervention. This exposes the town to catastrophic risk during any mechanical failure, communications fault, staff delay or unexpected tidal surge. Globally recognised flood barriers (Thames Barrier, Maeslantkering, Eastern Scheldt) operate automatically with manual override only. Boston — the UK's highest-risk flood zone — has been left with a lesser system.

2. Five-Year-Overdue Barrier Project

The Barrier remains incomplete, five years behind schedule, and lacks full operational resilience testing.

3. Structural Cracking in Floodwalls

Significant structural failure is visible at the junction of Skirbeck Road and Dock Road and along multiple sections of the river defences.

4. Weak Floodwall Construction near the Grammar School Car Park

Sections of the Haven floodwall were built using brickwork unsuitable for sustained water loading and do not meet required defence heights.

5. Manual Flood Gates Left Unsecured

Several gates remain open or poorly maintained, creating an avoidable and serious point-of-failure.

6. Closure of Black Sluice Pumping Station

This has removed a key drainage safeguard for the South Forty Foot system. Given the January overtopping, this decision demands urgent reassessment.

7. South Forty Foot Drain Overtopping – January Flood

Forty homes were flooded when the Drain overtopped. This was a structural failure, not a climate policy event.

8. Barrier Placement Too Far Upstream

Locating the Barrier upstream reduces the tidal buffer zone and increases the risk of rapid back-flooding if the barrier experiences any malfunction.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Your constituency is now officially the most flood-endangered community in England. Residents are entitled to a factual, engineering-led response — not political distraction.

Your constituents need clarity on the true condition of the defences, known weaknesses, the maintenance backlog, emergency planning procedures, risks associated with manual systems, and the status of independent structural assessments.

FORMAL REQUESTS

I therefore request that you:

1. Demand an independent structural and hydrological audit of all Boston flood defences within 30 days.

2. Hold a public meeting in Boston within 14 days with residents, engineers and campaigners.

3. Publish your constituency’s flood-protection plan, including maintenance responsibilities, risk assessments and repair timetables.

Given the seriousness of the BBC’s findings, these steps are essential to restore public confidence and safeguard lives and property.

I look forward to your written response.

Yours sincerely,

Alan M Dransfield

FOI Campaigner & Social Watchdog

alanmdransfield@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Alan M Dransfield