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The Environment Agency has begun the construction of a £15m flood defence system in an effort to protect Gatwick Airport from ‘major disruption’.

The Sussex airport was inundated with flood waters in 2000 when as the nearby River Mole burst its banks, forcing the closure of a road running beneath the hub’s south terminal.

Flooding is a relatively rare occurrence at UK airports, and bosses prefer to spend their cash on battling terrorists or extending runways into the surrounding countryside. Problems can arise very quickly, however, as torrential rain can cause localised flooding in areas without any rivers or streams.

Crawley was flooded in 1968 and 2000, but the Environment Agency didn’t take much notice until 2008, when a care home for the elderly had to be evacuated. 47people, including a 101-year-old woman, were displaced during the night.

The agency, which is run by the government, has since created the Upper Mole Flood Alleviation Scheme to reduce the threat of flooding in the West Sussex region. A dam on Tilgate Lake will have its capacity increased and three ‘flood reservoirs’ will be created in the Crawley area.

Contractors are bidding to have the scheme completed within the next three years. Ian Tomes, risk manager at the Environment Agency, called the scheme "vital", stating that flooding is "very destructive and could cause major disruption to the whole region", making it "vital we do everything we can to reduce the risk".

In related news, Global Infrastructure Partners’ (GIP) takeover of Gatwick appears to be finally complete after the firm redesigned the airport’s website. GIP has ditched the colours of former owner BAA and branded the site in its trademark blue and white, similar to the investment fund’s own homepage.