£3M flood defences boost protection in North East

A multi-million pound scheme in Teesside, which will improve flood defences around 350 homes and 32 businesses is complete.

The Environment Agency joined forces with local business Wilton Engineering to deliver the Port Clarence flood alleviation scheme.

A removable section of defence, which protects their work site and the local community from flooding has been manufactured by Wilton. The defence allows Wilton to still operate from the river.

The sections of removable defence joins with a concrete floor wall which runs along the rest of the front of Wilton’s site.

The total length of the new defences measures almost 1.5km. There’s been 132 precast concrete units used weighing nearly six tonnes each.

A total of 47 bespoke removable sections of steel defence, each six metres long and weighing 1.2 tonnes each have been lifted into place.

There are also new flood embankments to the east and west of Wilton, and a 35-metre section of the road on the approach to the Transporter Bridge has been raised by around half a metre.

The Environment Agency’s Operations Manager for the North East, Alan Cadas, said: “This has been a really innovative collaboration between ourselves and Wilton Engineering – seeing us work together with industry to protect the local area.

“I remember well the impact of the most recent floods on the local community and I hope the completion of this scheme provides reassurance for residents going into the future as well as protecting local industry.”

The scheme also includes a mixture of embankments, flood walls and ground raising along the River Tees to reduce the risk of flooding.

Wilton Engineering Chief Executive Bill Scott added: “Flooding is a huge problem throughout many parts of the UK. I am sure the residents of Port Clarence will be able to sleep knowing that they are now protected against similar flooding events to that which occurred during the tidal surge back in December 2013.”

The Environment Agency has worked closely with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council during the scheme.

The Environment Agency attended High Clarence Primary School this week, to talk to pupils about flooding, the new defences and how the scheme protects where they live and the surrounding local businesses.

The most recent impact of flooding in Port Clarence in December 2013 saw a tidal surge combined with high spring tides, which affected around 50 homes and businesses.

The Environment Agency’s flood schemes have protected an extra 182,000 properties in the past three years – and is spending £2.3Bn over the next six years to reduce the risk of floods to a further 300,000 properties.

 

 

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