Funding secured for new £5.2 million flood scheme in Hexham

Funding for the new schemes is from the Government’s £5.2 billion investment to better protect 336,000 properties across England by 2027 by constructing flood and coastal defences, in addition to contributions from Northumberland County Council.

Up to £193 million of this will be invested in the North East, with flood alleviation schemes planned for Hexham and Team Valley, among others.

Approximately 90 properties were flooded from the River Tyne at the Bridge End and Tyne Mills Industrial Estates on 5 December 2015, during Storm Desmond.

Businesses on the industrial estates have been contacted with updates on the scheme including the design and construction timescales.

The proposed scheme will reduce flood risk posed by the River Tyne with approximately 600m of flood walls and grass embankments.

The improvement works to the Bridge End Industrial estate include the construction of a new flood defence wall and short sections of flood embankment from the Reiver Sports site to the existing flood embankment at Egger.

In the Tyne Mills Industrial Estate, there will a short length of embankment across the Skinnersburn connecting into a new flood defence wall running along the perimeter of Northumberland County Council’s Tyne Mills depot through to the Peth Head pumping station.

The Environment Agency is in discussions with key landowners to gain agreement for construction access and permissions are being sought from the Local Planning Authority and Local Lead Flood Authority to carry out work on the scheme.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: ‘We are now entering into the final design stages for the embankment on the Skinnerburn and continue to remain committed to delivering an improved standard of protection for the business on the estates. Our ever-changing climate is expected to mean wetter winters, more intense rainfall and, unfortunately, more frequent flooding in future. Our proposed scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding at both industrial estates and will protect homes and businesses up to the level of the Storm Desmond 2015 flood event. Once planning consent and access agreements are in place, BAM Nuttall, our principal contractor is due on site in Hexham in December 2021, with completion of the scheme running into late summer/autumn 2022.’

A Citizen Space webpage is now available to provide the latest information on the Hexham flood schemes and vis available live this link: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/north-east/hexham-flood-alleviation-scheme

Flood Action Campaign

Announcement of the funding comes ahead of the Environment Agency’s Flood Action Week, where people are being encouraged to find out more information on how to make their homes, businesses, and communities more resilient to flooding, and sign up for flood warnings.

People in flood risk areas should know what to do in a flood and they are encouraged to download the Environment Agency’s ‘Prepare. Act. Survive.’ flood plan to help reduce their risk.

All residents and businesses in the North East are encouraged to sign up to the Environment Agency’s flood warning service, which gives advanced notification of flooding via phone, text and email. It is the principal way that flood warnings are issued, and those who sign up can manage their registrations online so that they can receive warnings wherever they are.

To register for the Environment Agency’s flood warning service visit https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings or contact Floodline on tel: 0345 988 1188.