Morpeth receives £26M flood defences

Security for over 1,000 properties.

The historic market town of Morpeth, Northumberland, is now equipped with £26M in flood defences.

Two years of construction works have provided security for over 1,000 homes and businesses in the largest flood protection project ever completed in the North East.

It is also one of the Environment Agency’s biggest enterprises in this field, jointly delivered with Northumberland County Council who has contributed £12M towards the scheme.

It facilitates the storage of 1.4 million cubic metres of water at the upstream reservoir on Mitford Estate when river levels are high. This volume is equivalent to just over 560 Olympic sized swimming pools’, significantly reducing flood risk to the Morpeth area.

The scheme has delivered a new flood wall and 368m long embankment with three new flood gates, alongside upgrades and repairs to existing defences.

These measures will help prevent the same devastation caused by heavy rainfall back in September 2008, when the River Wansbeck burst its banks. Some 1,000 Morpeth properties were flooded, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and businesses to grind to a halt.

The new defences not only physically protect the town, but have also been designed to maintain the character and history of this popular tourist destination.

Local wildlife will additionally reap the benefits with the creation of 17 hectares of new habitat for 3,500 endangered white-claw crayfish. The scheme has allowed for new refuges upstream to encourage the UK native species to thrive. The area is currently one of the last places where the crayfish have a stronghold.

The scheme comes after last year’s government pledge of £2.3Bn for flood defences in England.

Sir Phillip Dilley, Environment Agency Chairman, said: “With one in six people at risk of flooding in England, flood schemes like Morpeth have a key role to play in protecting people and property, and provide a valuable boost to the local economy. Creating large-scale habitat is also vital to ensuring the survival of the country’s endangered species such as white-clawed crayfish.

“The success of this scheme is down to the way it has been developed in collaboration with others. In particular, the funding from Northumberland County Council is among the largest contributions received under the partnership funding regime.

“We are making record levels of investment, spending £2.3Bn over the next six years to reduce flood risk to more than 300,000 properties in England, and successful partnerships like this, with local authorities and business, will be key.”

 

 

 

 

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