A key part of the eagerly-awaited £21 million flood alleviation scheme for Morpeth has been approved by the local planning authority.
The scheme will reduce the risk of flooding to more than a thousand properties from the devastating impacts of floods like those seen in 2008 and this autumn.
A new dam and flood water storage area upstream of the town will limit the flow of water through Morpeth to a level that can be safely channelled through the town by a series of new and existing flood defences. Additional work will be carried out on Morpeth’s three burns (Cotting Burn, Church Burn and Postern Burn) to reduce the risk of flooding.
The Environment Agency’s planning application for flood defence work in the town was agreed by Northumberland County Council under delegated powers. A separate application for the upstream dam and flood storage area is expected to be agreed early next year.
Construction of the scheme is expected to start as planned early next year. Work will be completed in Autumn 2014, dependent upon weather conditions.
Ian Hodge, Area Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
“Further flooding in recent months has demonstrated again the very real urgency for this project to get underway as soon as possible. I am delighted to be working very closely with our colleagues at Northumberland Council to deliver this scheme. The Planning Authority has shown their support for our work in providing planning permission for the town’s flood defences.
“Flooding has a devastating impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, as we saw here in 2008 and again this Autumn. We remain committed to building a scheme that will significantly reduce the risk of flooding in the future and I am grateful to the community for their support and advice in developing the design of this vital project.”
Councillor Roger Styring, deputy leader of Northumberland County Council and executive member responsible for liaising with other organisations on flooding issues said:
“Northumberland County Council are happy to be working in partnership with the Environment Agency and we will continue to do so to see the scheme through to completion. We are providing up to £12m towards the cost of this scheme because we recognise how vital it is for the residents and businesses in Morpeth who have suffered from flooding.“
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