Various options to help prevent a Cornish town from flooding in the future are being discussed.

Looe is one of the most flooded towns in the country, being prone to flooding from the sea when higher tides and certain weather conditions co-incide.

Six options will be considered for the Looe Flood Defence and Regeneration Scheme.

They include: demountable barriers; permanent flood walls; a quayside extension; a tidal barrier only; a tidal barrier with breakwaters; and adapting the town and community.

A forthcoming outline business case, which aims to protect Looe from frequent and severe flooding and damage over the next 50 to 100 years, and to also give the community time to adapt to a changing climate, will move things forward.

A number of other options have been ruled out as not being suitable. 

They include dredging and breakwaters only.  

A spokesman for the Looe Flood Defence and Regeneration Scheme said: “Before confirming a preferred option, we need to assess all potential options including those previously dismissed against a range of technical, economic and environmental criteria.”

Option number one, the demountable barriers, would see removable flood barriers placed beside the river in East and West Looe.

The barriers would slide into upright fixings to create a flood wall around two metres high.

The barriers would need to be erected one to two days before a flood is forecast, and then taken down afterwards.

Option number two would see permanent flood walls built beside the river.

Option number three involves building quayside extensions.

Extending the quaysides around the harbour would enable the level to be raised and new areas created for seating and pedestrian use. The new quay walls would be built approximately two to six metres in front of the existing quaysides.

Option number four is a tidal barrier only. 

Such a barrier would need to be higher and more robust than a barrier built in conjunction with breakwaters so it could cope with increased wave action.

Option number five presents the most protection and is more expensive than the previous options. 

It involves a tidal barrier with a long extension to the Banjo Pier and the construction of a southern breakwater coming out from Hannaford.

The breakwaters would create a refuge area to shelter the tidal barrier and provide a safe haven for vessels from Looe during construction of the scheme and in the longer term.

The tidal barrier would be designed to a lower level initially and could then be raised to cope with rising sea levels in the future.

A raised coastal walkway would be provided between West Looe and Hannaford for pedestrians.

Pontoons would be provided alongside the Banjo Pier extension to allow for safe access to boat trips for the public at all states of the tide.

Option number six, the adaptation of the town and community, involves a different way of thinking about the flood risk and is a new requirement from the Government for flood defence schemes. 

The spokesperson said: “Instead of investing in flood defences, it looks at investing in other spatial changes which will help the community adjust. 

“In particular, it looks at what change needs to be made to infrastructure, property, layout and planning of the town to move people and facilities away from the at risk areas and overall make the town more resilient.  

“This option would involve a range of different types and scales of interventions which would evolve over time as different areas of the town become subject to more regular tidal flooding.”

The six options being put forward:

1. Demountable barriers costing an estimated £88m and then £39m in operation and maintenance.

2. Permanent flood walls costing £93m and then £17m.

3. Quayside extensions costing £95m and then £22m.

4. A tidal barrier costing £80m and then £33m.

5. A tidal barrier with breakwaters costing £126m and then £33m.

6. Adapting the town.