The Environment Agency tested the £7 million Northwich Flood Risk Management Scheme last week - the Agency is carrying out a large-scale training exercise in Northwich as part of a winter preparedness programme to make sure it is ready to respond to flood incidents.
The large-scale exercise which took place over 26 and 27 October saw the Agency test temporary and permanent flood barriers, which can be deployed in emergencies - 69 metres of temporary defences were erected and 12 flood gates closed in the town.
The event started with the closing of floodgates at Waitrose and the Dane Bridge, as well as setting up temporary flood defences outside Wildwood and the cinema.
The temporary defences are made of lightweight aluminium and can be erected in around 45 minutes in the event of a flood alert or warning.
At Dane Bridge, two layers of barrier act as a channel to keep water within the River Dane, preventing it from spilling over towards London Road or Watling Street.
The floodgates are closed in minutes and create a seal to protect the town from floodwater.
Scheme deployed multiple times over the 2024-25 storm season
Since its launch in June 2018, the £7 million flood alleviation scheme, which reduces the flood risk to around 400 homes and businesses throughout the town, has been tested and maintained on a regular basis. The scheme was deployed multiple times over the 2024-25 storm season, including Storm Bert and at New Year.
Omonyi Green, Environment Agency Operations Manager for Cheshire, said:
“Although we hope these defences won’t be needed in Northwich this winter, it’s important our teams are ready for whatever the weather has in store for us.
“We train all year round but, with the increased flood risk during the wetter months ahead, we want to make sure we are equipped to respond to incidents.
“These emergency response plans should give reassurance to residents in Northwich. However, it is important to remember that we can never fully protect against flooding.
“Residents should always prepare in advance for this by going online and signing up for free flood warnings.”
Working with partners
As part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s commitment to protecting Northwich, pumps are currently in situ - and working with the Environment Agency these w ere alsotested on Dane Street.
Councillor Karen Shore, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Highways at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said:
“The Council is committed to doing everything we can to prevent any potential flooding impacts to homes and businesses. We work closely with partner agencies such as the Environment Agency across the borough because it is vital that we are all able to come together to act swiftly to protect residents in the event of a flood in the future.
The exercise allowed the Environment Agency to conduct routine inspection and maintenance of the defences, whilst also providing an opportunity to exercise procedures in conjunction with its partners.
WaterBriefing is supporting the upcoming Floodex & National Drainage Show which takes place in London on 26 – 27 November 2025 in London. Now in its tenth year, Floodex will run alongside the National Civils Show, opening the event up to whole new audience of thousands of interested civil engineers, contractors, developers and planners, involved in construction, utilities, highways, railway and coastal defence professionals.
Click here for more information about Floodex and to register for your free ticket to attend
Click here for more information about National Civils and to register for your free ticket to attend
PureTec Separations, the Ledbury-based water treatment engineering firm, has appointed Dan Norman as its new Sales Manager – Water Process Systems, supporting the company’s continued growth in the UK and international markets.
bNovate has launched BactoCloud, a secure cloud-based platform that connects and manages its BactoSense instruments, enabling real-time monitoring and optimization of microbial water quality.
Amiblu, a global leader in Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipe systems for wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and industrial applications, has announced the appointment of Martyn Turton as its Sales Director for the UK & Ireland, driving strategic market development in the infrastructure and water sectors, effective immediately.
As a project manager at Metasphere, a Grundfos-owned remote telemetry company at the cutting edge of innovation, Fey McHarg, has witnessed firsthand how the intelligent harnessing of data, specifically through the data-as-a-service model, is fundamentally reshaping and revolutionising the water sector.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.