The Environment Agency will set out its plans next week for a new £9.5 million flood risk management scheme for Stoke town centre.
The Fowlea Brook is a six-kilometre tributary of the River Trent that runs through the heart of Stoke from north of Longport meeting the Trent between the town centre and Fenton. The works will focus on a 500m stretch of the watercourse between the Shelton Old Road and the Civic Centre, making it more resilient to flooding.
Preparation work for the main construction works has already begun with vegetation being cleared to make way for construction traffic. As part of the scheme, the Environment Agency will replant five trees for every one removed within the working area.
Construction work on the complex urban scheme is expected to start in October and will take approximately two years to complete.
Environment Agency Flood Risk Team Leader for the West Midlands, Mark Swain, said:
“While properties in the area have thankfully not flooded since 1997, there is a high risk of flash flooding and water levels can increase by more than a meter in 15 minutes, particularly during summer thunderstorms as we saw in July 2021.”
“This scheme will help to better protect the area from the devastating impact of flooding and make it more resilient to effects of climate change. It will also enable the area to be regenerated and help to create up to 570 jobs.”
“We’re looking forward to welcoming people to the drop-in event in July where we can answer their questions about the scheme.”
In addition to better protecting 333 homes and businesses from flooding, reducing flood risk will enable regeneration of Stoke town centre and create new jobs.
Councillor Duncan Walker, Cabinet Member for Planning, Climate Change and Regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council added:
“This is a highly complex project and we fully support the essential work being undertaken by the Environment Agency to repair these water courses and protect hundreds of homes and businesses from the threat of flooding in the future. It will also enable regeneration sites such as Spode Works, securing the land and buildings for future use bringing new homes, businesses and jobs.”
The scheme will have wide ranging benefits to the local community, with 214 residential properties and 119 non-residential properties being better protected as a result of the new defences. The Agency said this equates to £62 million in direct damages which are avoided.
As well as the protection to properties, the Environment Agency is improving in-channel habitat and removing a weir that will unlock six-kilometers of river for fish migration from the Trent to the headwaters of the Fowlea Brook.
The Environment Agency has developed a range of solutions to reduce the risk along a 500-metre stretch of the Fowlea Brook which include embankments, free-standing flood defence walls, sheet piled walls and the construction of a new section of channel.
All of these construction methods are required due to the changing nature of the ground conditions and also the adjacent land use.
The increased standard of protection will benefit over 20 hectares of land which is currently designated as flood zone 3, but which will be protected to a higher standard. The increased protection will enable regeneration estimated to be worth £31.5 million and up to 570 jobs.
The scheme will cost £9.5 million, which is largely funded by Environment Agency Flood Defence Grant in Aid, with contributions from the Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (£1.5m) and the Stoke and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (£500k) and smaller contributions from Stoke-on-Trent City Council (£92k) and a private developer (£50k).
The Environment Agency is working collaboratively with Eagle Rock Investments Ltd who is the landowner of the site and has given permission for construction work to take place.
The Agency is holding a drop-in event on 13 July between 3pm and 7pm in the Factory Floor suite at the Potbank on Elenora Street where Environment Agency officers will be on hand to provide information about the scheme and answer questions.
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